Covered with or flooded by water; overflowing with something (often used figuratively).
From 'a-' (in, on) + 'wash.' The nautical term meant literally 'flooded with water' in the 1800s, then expanded metaphorically to mean 'overflowing with anything' by the late 1800s.
The word perfectly captures both physical and emotional flooding—you can be 'awash in tears' or 'awash in confusion' the same way a ship is awash in water. It's a word that makes you feel overwhelmed just by saying it.
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