Definition

1. Noun:
   • The Great Flood / The Deluge: A catastrophic, worldwide flood sent by a deity as a divine punishment, most famously narrated in the Biblical story of Noah and found in the mythologies of many cultures.
   • A massive, devastating flood: Used metaphorically to describe an event involving an overwhelming, destructive influx of water.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Truyền thuyết kể về trận đại hồng thủy nhấn chìm cả thế giới. (The legend tells of the Great Flood that submerged the entire world.)
  • Cơn bão gây ra một trận đại hồng thủy ở vùng đồng bằng. (The storm caused a deluge in the delta region.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in religious, mythological, or literary contexts to signify a complete purification or destruction of the existing world order.
• In modern journalistic language, it can be used hyperbolically to describe severe flooding or an overwhelming amount of something (e.g., information, complaints).

Variants and Related Words

• Hồng thủy (n): A slightly less formal term for a great flood or deluge.
• Lũ lụt (n): Flood; a more common, general term for flooding without the mythological connotation.

Synonyms

• The Flood: Specifically referencing the Biblical event.
• The Deluge: A great flood.
• Cataclysmic flood: A flood causing sudden, violent change.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Như đại hồng thủy: (Like the Great Flood) Used to describe something arriving or happening in an overwhelming, unstoppable manner.
  • Tin tức ập đến như đại hồng thủy. (The news arrived like a deluge.)

1. Deluge