overload

1 of 2

verb

over·​load ˌō-vər-ˈlōd How to pronounce overload (audio)
overloaded; overloading; overloads

transitive verb

: to load (something or someone) to excess: such as
a
: to put too large a load on or in (something)
overload a ship
overload a washing machine
Overloading the trailer poses a safety risk.
… a bad winter can so overload roofs with snow that their collapses become endemic.Henry Petroski
b
: to give too much of something to (someone or something) : to supply with an excess of something
overloading students with more information than they can retain
More than ever, the upper middle class is synonymous with the stressed-out class. Their bosses are overloading them with work …Joseph Spiers
… have overloaded the market with too many strange designs and weird color combinations.Mimi Valdés
a movie overloaded with special effects
a court system overloaded with criminal cases
c
: to cause too large a load in (something, such as an electrical circuit)
Too much current traveling through one circuit can cause an overload. The wires inside a wall can get too hot and start a fire. Using a special safety power strip can help prevent overloading a circuit.Science

overload

2 of 2

noun

over·​load ˈō-vər-ˌlōd How to pronounce overload (audio)
plural overloads
: an excessive load or amount of something
an overload of cargo
an overload of details
If your dog is suffering from an overload of stress, he will appear depressed, inactive, sluggish and unresponsive.Daniel Seligman
You fight your superficiality, your shallowness, so as to try to come at people without unreal expectations, without an overload of bias or hope or arrogance …Philip Roth
If you're a regular reader of blogs, … you've probably been frustrated from time to time by information overload: the blogosphere creates way too much material for any human being to comfortably digest.Chris Taylor
Large department stores tend to bring on sensory overload [=overstimulation of the senses]Stephen O'Shea and Joan Harting

Examples of overload in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The annexation effort was started in August 2019 by residents of both cities as a way to resolve the issue of the Bethel Heights wastewater treatment system, which was overloaded and spilled untreated wastewater on the surface of the city's two plants and neighboring yards. Tom Sissom, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2024 The employees said it had been overloaded with muck, which caused the metal brackets holding it to give way. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 It had been overloaded with muck, the employees said, and the metal brackets holding it together gave way, sending the intern running. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 This is a very convenient way to get your homework done when you are overloaded with academic and professional responsibilities. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 While the group’s social media was overloaded with images of new restaurants, traditional bakeries, and the city’s best sightseeing spots, the trip had an ulterior motive. Irene Kim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2024 But too much of that stuff in humans can overload the circuits. Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2024 The boys almost immediately encounter heartless human smugglers, who don’t even hit the brakes to slow down when a migrant is accidentally thrown from the back of a speeding, overloaded pickup truck. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 The most powerful of those occurred in 2003, when the sensors measuring it overloaded, accoding to NASA. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024
Noun
As with estate sales, Counts tries to stay within the bounds of her personal style when scouring thrift stores, to prevent sensory overload. Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Interfaces of complex solutions often need to be more clear due to feature overload and poor information hierarchy. Ilya Gandzeichuk, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Last, but certainly not least, is the Hershey’s chocolate cake overload. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 But for women experiencing menopause, who are subject to nervous system overload, adrenal burnout, and sleeplessness, such treatments can feel especially powerful, Steward notes. Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Feb. 2024 Content Curation One of the challenges of knowledge management is dealing with information overload, which includes managing your own content: Files, reports, slide decks, emails, digital notebooks, scripts, codes, databases, etc. Abby Clobridge, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Here's some paw-some news for the day: The Great American Rescue Bowl is back this year for more cuteness overload, and EW has the exclusive full lineup reveal. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2024 Even the most capable task systems and careful plans, however, cannot save you from the attention-destroying distractions generated by communication overload. Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2024 Because of the abundance of plants to choose from, however, this may feel like information overload to some. Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overload.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1553, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overload was in 1553

Dictionary Entries Near overload

Cite this Entry

“Overload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overload. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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