どっと

Emphasizes an abrupt change or occurrence, often with a nuance of intensity or volume. Can overlap with the 'flooding in' sense but focuses more on the suddenness itself.

疲つかれがどっと出でた。
Fatigue suddenly hit me.
どっと汗あせが吹ふき出だした。
Sweat suddenly poured out.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉がどっと笑わらうfor a group to burst out laughing all at once
彼かれのジョークに教きょう室しつ中じゅうがどっと笑わらった。
The whole classroom burst out laughing at his joke.
〈人ひと〉がどっと押おし寄よせるfor a crowd of people to come flooding in all at once
開かい店てんと同どう時じに客きゃくがどっと押おし寄よせた。
The moment the store opened, customers came flooding in.
疲つかれがどっと出でるfor exhaustion to hit all at once (after tension eases)
試し験けんが終おわった途と端たん、疲つかれがどっと出でた。
The moment the exam ended, exhaustion hit me all at once.
どっと拍はく手しゅが起おこるfor applause to erupt suddenly from a group
演えん奏そうが終おわると、どっと拍はく手しゅが起おこった。
When the performance ended, applause erupted all at once.
〈事こと〉がどっと入はいるfor orders, requests, etc. to pour in all at once
新しん商しょう品ひんの発はつ売ばい後ご、注ちゅう文もんがどっと入はいった。
After the new product launched, orders poured in all at once.

Related words

わっと sense 1
わっと is typically used for a sudden burst of crying or shouting, while どっと more often describes laughter, applause, or a surge of people or things.
一いっ斉せいにN2sense 3
いっせいに stresses coordinated simultaneity, while どっと stresses a sudden, forceful rush or outburst.
一いっ気きにN2sense 3
一気に focuses on doing or happening in one continuous go without stopping, while どっと highlights the sudden, overwhelming volume or force of the occurrence.
どやどやN1
どっと emphasizes a sudden, all-at-once surge (of people, laughter, etc.), whereas どやどや specifically evokes the noisy sound of many footsteps entering.
わんさ
どっと emphasizes a sudden burst or rush (like laughter or a crowd pouring in at once), whereas わんさ focuses on the sheer density or quantity of people or things.

Don't confuse with

ずっとN4
ずっと looks and sounds similar to どっと but means 'continuously' or 'by far', not a sudden burst or rush.

Written forms

どっとUsage82%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic adverb.
ドッとUsage18%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
ドっとUsage<1%
Less common katakana variant; the small ッ is more standard.

Etymology

A mimetic word (擬態語) whose sound evokes a sudden, forceful release or rush. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is part of a family of onomatopoeic expressions using the どっ sound to suggest impact or intensity.