Torrent
noun /ˈtɒr.ənt/ — A rushing, violent stream of water or words
Definition
A strong, fast-moving stream of water — or figuratively, a rushing outpouring of anything: words, emotion, abuse, events.
Beyond the definition
The quality of what will not be slowed. A torrent is water that has made a decision — it is going somewhere and nothing will stop it.
Origin & history
From Latin 'torrens' (a rushing stream) — from 'torrere' (to burn, to parch). Paradoxically, torrential water comes from the Latin word for burning: rapid movement generating its own heat.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The spring melt turned the stream into a torrent that swept the bridge clean.
She unleashed a torrent of explanation that contained everything except the thing he needed to know.
A torrent is temporary — the very force of it means it cannot sustain.
Synonyms
deluge, flood, rush, cascade, stream
Antonyms
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Powerful Massive Waterfall
A massive waterfall crashes down into a dark, swirling river in a deep gorge, dwarfing an adult standing on a nearby rock ledge.
A torrent is a fast-moving, massive outpouring of water. The waterfall in this sublime landscape is a literal torrent, but its overwhelming scale and power also serve as a visual analogy for the figurative torrents of emotion or words that can rush out and engulf an individual, just as the water dwarfs the person.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration