ingolfare

to flood, to choke (an engine)

verb een-gohl-FAH-reh Rare

Also means

to swamp, to overwhelm

Usage Note

Ingolfare originally referred to flooding a carburetor or engine with too much fuel, causing it to stall — ho ingolfato il motore ('I flooded the engine'). Figuratively it means to swamp or overwhelm with too much of something: ingolfarsi nel lavoro ('to get bogged down in work'). It is conjugated as a regular first-conjugation verb; the reflexive ingolfarsi is common.

Examples

"Ho ingolfato il motore partendo troppo in fretta."

Natural Translation

I flooded the engine by leaving too quickly.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian False Friends: 20 Words That Trick You

Italian false friends like preservativo, parenti, and caldo mean the opposite of what English speakers expect. Here are 20 ranked by how badly they bite.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Essere vs Avere: Italian Past Tense Made Simple

In the passato prossimo, use avere for most verbs and essere for movement, change, and reflexives — plus the agreement trap English speakers always miss.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

You're Welcome in Italian: 8 Ways Beyond Prego

You're welcome in Italian is more than prego: say figurati to friends, si figuri to strangers, di niente, non c'è di che, or grazie a te. Pick the right one.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

How to Order Coffee in Italy Like a Local

Order coffee in Italy like a local: say un caffè (not espresso), pay at the cassa first, drink al banco, and skip the latte trap. Phrases inside.

June 5, 2026 6 min read