il fiume

Definition & meaning

Fiume means river: a natural stream of water that flows into the sea, a lake, or another river.

Figuratively, it can describe a large, continuous flow of something, such as words or people.

Grammar & Word origin

• Masculine noun: il fiume; plural: i fiumi.
• From Latin flumen, meaning “river” or “flow.”

Synonyms & antonyms

• corso d’acqua ↗ — “watercourse,” a broader term that includes streams and rivers.
• torrente ↗ — “torrent” or “mountain stream,” typically smaller and more variable in flow than a river.
• There is no direct antonym.

Common phrases & collocations

• fiume in piena ↗ — a river in flood; figuratively, an unstoppable flow of words or emotions.
• un fiume di parole ↗ — a flood of words.
• alla foce del fiume ↗ — at the mouth of the river.