waterlogged
/'wɔ:təlɔgd/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Saturated or soaked with water to the point of being heavy, unusable, or unable to absorb more: Describes an object, material, or area that is thoroughly drenched with water, often leading to a loss of functionality or stability.
- Of soil or land: Soft, swampy, and unstable due to excessive water content.
- Of a boat or ship: Filled with water to a level that hinders or prevents it from floating or moving properly.
Usage Examples
- Describing land or soil:
- After three days of heavy rain, the football pitch was completely waterlogged and the match was postponed.
- The farmer could not plant the seeds because the fields were waterlogged.
- Describing an object:
- The firewood was so waterlogged from the storm that it wouldn't burn.
- He tried to lift the waterlogged carpet after the pipe burst.
- Describing a vessel:
- The small dinghy became waterlogged and began to sink slowly.
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Environmental Context: In environmental science, "waterlogged" describes soil conditions where all the pores are filled with water, depriving plant roots of oxygen.
- Waterlogged soils can lead to the death of crops due to root rot.
- Metaphorical Use: Can describe a person or system that is overwhelmed or inefficient, similar to being bogged down.
- After the merger, the company's bureaucracy felt utterly waterlogged and slow to respond.
Variants and Related Words
- Waterlog (verb): To saturate or soak with water.
- The constant rain will waterlog the ground.
- Waterlogging (noun): The state or process of becoming waterlogged.
- The waterlogging of the cellar caused significant damage.
Synonyms
- Sodden: Heavily soaked with liquid.
- Saturated: Holds as much water as possible.
- Boggy: Soft, wet, spongy ground.
- Swampy: Resembling or characteristic of a swamp.
- Soggy: Heavy with water; moist and soft in an unpleasant way.
Related Phrases
- "To be waterlogged": The common state of having absorbed too much water.
- The sponge was waterlogged and couldn't absorb any more spill.
- "Waterlogged condition": A formal phrase describing the state of saturation.
- The authorities issued a warning about the waterlogged condition of the hiking trails.
Notes on Different Meanings
- The primary meaning relates to physical saturation with water.
- When applied to land, it implies impracticality for use (e.g., farming, sports, construction).
- In a maritime context, it is a serious condition for a vessel, often a precursor to sinking. It does not necessarily mean the vessel has sunk, but that it is dangerously full of water.
Adjective
- (of soil) soft and watery
- the ground was boggy under foot
- a marshy coastline
- miry roads
- wet mucky lowland
- muddy barnyard
- quaggy terrain
- the sloughy edge of the pond
- swampy bayous