overwhelmed

1 of 2

adjective

over·​whelmed ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welmd 

1

: overcome by force or numbers

Some jurisdictions are so overwhelmed that they are experimenting with routing school-children into specially designed courts that would keep first-time offenders from being saddled with an arrest record.

—Gary Fields and John R. Emshwiller

Only three Coast Guard rescue helicopters had managed to get into the air, and each was already overwhelmed by dozens of calls for help.

—Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

"We were overwhelmed," said John Robinson, the Rams' coach. "Clearly dominated."

—Paul Zimmerman

2

: completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling

When he first appeared in full regalia, I was overwhelmed.

—Jane Davison

Suddenly he felt overwhelmed by a wash of terror.

—Holly Black

He finds that the institutions that might compensate for what overwhelmed parents are unable to do are themselves undermined by stingy public policies.

—Lisbeth B. Schorr

overwhelmed

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of overwhelm

Examples of overwhelmed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Rising costs, debt and constant comparisons on social media can make people feel overwhelmed and trapped. — Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

At the same time, 39% feel overwhelmed by online drama and 31% feel excluded by friends. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026

But for thousands of families, the final obstacle was an overwhelmed visitor center. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026

The task force is charged with quickly mobilizing resources to mitigate the infestation, which has overwhelmed residents and muncipalities alike. — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1