Waterlogged describes something that has absorbed so much water that it becomes heavy, soggy, and often unusable. A waterlogged soccer field is so saturated with rain that puddles form and the ball won't roll properly. A waterlogged book left outside during a storm becomes swollen, with wrinkled pages that might never flatten again.

You can see waterlogging happen after heavy rain: soil becomes waterlogged when it can't drain fast enough, making it very hard to dig or garden. A waterlogged sponge can't absorb anything else because it's already completely full. Waterlogged shoes squish with every step, making that uncomfortable wet sound as water seeps out.

The key idea is too much water for too long. A damp towel isn't waterlogged, but a towel that's been soaking in the bathtub for hours becomes waterlogged: heavy, dripping, and difficult to wring out. When something becomes waterlogged, it has passed the point where it can't dry out easily and return to normal.