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

Verb try not to overload your backpack, or you could end up with back problems
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
To give Kerkez credit, the Hungary international did well to head two crosses clear in the final stage of the game, with Everton players similarly overloading that far side. Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 The company says the modification ensures rainwater drains more effectively and the tent better sheds snow so as not to get overloaded. New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
When trying to work out of Brighton’s press, Malo Gusto’s mishit pass to Jadon Sancho ends in the visitors winning the ball and creating an overload; Marc Cucurella sprints over to help and flies into his challenge, picking up a yellow card. Simon Johnson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 The videos sat poorly after a weekend of Swift overload. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overload

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

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Cite this Entry

“Overload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overload. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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