overwhelmed

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

Examples of overwhelmed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One student from Broward, for example, usually arrives stressed and overwhelmed from the long and gridlocked drive to school. —Miami Herald, 15 Nov. 2025

Lawsuits compelled the administration to tap reserves, but delays left families rationing meals and overwhelmed food banks. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025

With World Diabetes Day on November 14, Nick wants parents of children who are newly diagnosed not to feel alone or overwhelmed. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 11 Nov. 2025

Pushback to this workaround has overwhelmed sweepstakes operators this year, forcing exits from key states such as New Jersey. —Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1