Definition of overload
: 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
