avalanche
avalanche — noun
1. a powerful rush of snow, ice, and broken rock that slides rapidly down a mountai
a powerful rush of snow, ice, and broken rock that slides rapidly down a mountain slope, often carrying soil, trees, and debris with it
The avalanche buried three ski huts near Val-d'Isère under twelve metres of snow.
Rescue teams used trained dogs to find skiers buried by the avalanche.
buried by the avalanche
An avalanche roared down the mountainside, knocking down trees and blocking the hiking trail.
The village at the foot of the mountain was destroyed by a massive avalanche last winter.
Skiers were warned to stay off the north-facing slopes because of the high avalanche risk.
文法句型
avalanche + verb
number + of + noun (amount)
用法筆記
This literal sense is countable and often appears in passive constructions describing damage ('buried by an avalanche', 'destroyed by an avalanche'). News reports commonly pair it with 'trigger', 'warning', and 'risk'.
常見錯誤
2. a very large number of things such as letters, messages, orders, or events that
a very large number of things such as letters, messages, orders, or events that all arrive or happen at the same time, making them hard to manage
The charity received an avalanche of donations after the news report about the earthquake.
an avalanche of donations
An avalanche of applications arrived at the university after they lowered the tuition fees.
The mayor faced an avalanche of complaints from residents about the new parking rules.
After the article appeared, the journalist received an avalanche of emails and phone calls.
- trickle
a very small, slow amount arriving gradually
文法句型
an avalanche of + noun
用法筆記
This figurative sense is almost always used in the fixed pattern 'an avalanche of + noun', where the noun is plural and countable (e.g., an avalanche of questions, work, letters). Singular abstract nouns (e.g., 'an avalanche of support') are less common but acceptable.
常見錯誤
avalanche — verb
1. to slide or fall down a mountainside as a fast-moving mass of snow and ice
to slide or fall down a mountainside as a fast-moving mass of snow and ice
Huge chunks of ice avalanched off the north face of the glacier into the valley below.
avalanched off
The snow on the steep slope avalanched without warning, surprising the climbers below.
The guide warned the group that the soft snow could avalanche at any time.
After days of heavy snowfall, the mountainside finally avalanched, blocking the road.
文法句型
subject (snow/ice/mountainside) + avalanche + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Intransitive only — the verb cannot take a direct object. The subject is always snow, ice, rock, or a mountainside. This sense is much less common than the noun form and appears mostly in descriptive writing about mountain environments.
常見錯誤
2. to overwhelm someone or an organisation with a very large amount of things such
to overwhelm someone or an organisation with a very large amount of things such as requests, orders, or messages arriving suddenly
The celebrity was avalanched with interview requests after winning the award.
was avalanched with
The small bakery was avalanched by orders when their cake went viral online.
During the pandemic, the hospital was avalanched with urgent calls from worried patients.
The teacher felt avalanched by the pile of homework that arrived on the first day back.
文法句型
be avalanched with + noun
be avalanched by + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice ('be avalanched by/with' + plural noun). Active examples are very rare. The verb form here is less common than using the noun in the pattern 'an avalanche of'.