overwhelming

1 of 2

adjective

over·​whelm·​ing ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)wel-miŋ 

: tending or serving to overwhelm

overwhelming force

overwhelming evidence

also : extreme, great

overwhelming indifference

an overwhelming majority

overwhelming

2 of 2

present participle of overwhelm

Examples of overwhelming in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And yet, despite overwhelming evidence that pointed to Lizzie as the killer, a year later, following a high-profile two-week trial, an all-male jury, deliberating for a little more than an hour, decided to acquit her. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Though the legislation received overwhelming support from lawmakers, some environmental and anti-data center groups opposed the measure, calling it a half-step. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Nearly 80% of likely voters say 14 statewide propositions and dense wording make the ballot overwhelming, shortly before mail-in voting begins for more than 23 million Californians. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

The bill, one of Congress’s first efforts to rein in the unpopular facilities, was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support but is unlikely to lower prices immediately. — Anna Liss-Roy, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

overwhelming

adjective

over·​whelm·​ing ˌō-vər-ˈhwel-miŋ 

-wel-

: great sense 4, extreme

an overwhelming response

overwhelmingly adverb