torrential

English

WOTD – 10 October 2010

Etymology

From torrent +‎ -ial.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /təˈɹɛn.tʃəl/, /tɒɹˈɛn.tʃəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /tɔˈɹɛn.t͡ʃəl/, /təˈɹɛn.t͡ʃəl/

• Audio (Northern California):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

torrential (comparative more torrential, superlative most torrential)

1. Coming or characterized by torrents; flowing heavily or in large quantities.

   There was a torrential downpour and we were all soaked.

   torrential rain

   • 1960 December, “Talking of Trains: The railways and the Devon floods”, in Trains Illustrated, page 709:

     On the Saturday, October 1, the torrential rains began to wreak damage east of Exeter.

Derived terms

• torrentiality
• torrentially

Related terms

• torrent
• torrid
• toast

Translations

coming or characterized by torrents; flowing heavily or in large quantities

Armenian: տեղատարափ (hy) (teġatarapʻ), հորդ (hy) (hord) Belarusian: праліўны́ (praliŭný) Bulgarian: пороен (bg) (poroen), проливен (proliven) Catalan: torrencial (ca) Finnish: rankka (fi) (of rain), raivoisa (fi), vuolas (fi) French: diluvien (fr), torrentiel (fr) Galician: arrabecido m, debrocado m German: sintflutartig (de), sturzflutartig, wolkenbruchartig Greek: καταρρακτώδης (el) (katarraktódis) Icelandic: straumharður m, fossandi m, helli-, (in some combinations) flaumur m Ido: torentala (io), torentatra (io) Irish: folcmhar Italian: torrenziale (it) Lao: please add this translation if you can Maori: makerewhatu (of rain), tā whakarere (of rain) Portuguese: torrencial (pt) Russian: проливно́й (ru) (prolivnój) Spanish: diluviano, torrencial (es) Swedish: strömmande (sv), forsande (sv), störtande (sv) Tagalog: lirit