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

Simplifying complex data: Simplification helps decision makers quickly grasp key points without being overwhelmed by a large volume of numbers. —Paul Ross, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

She is overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame and is forced to face her past. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024

But for team leaders who are feeling burnt out or overwhelmed with their job, Daisy Auger-Domínguez has advice on regaining your joy at work. —Harvard Business Review, 15 Oct. 2024

Playing his first game since returning from an oblique strain that sidelined him for two games, Ewers looked overwhelmed early, but ended with 199 passing yards, completing 20 of his 29 passes. —Andrew Greif, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1