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

Chin, who immigrated from Malaysia to the US in 1981 and has been in Texas for over three decades, is overwhelmed. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

To not do so would risk both of you being overwhelmed, possibly to the detriment of your mother’s care and your own mental well-being. — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026

While many people feel overwhelmed by online data collection, this has also led to notable changes, particularly in how individuals browse the internet, through the use of VPNs and private browsers. — David Henkin, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Students are less anxious about money, less overwhelmed; their physical and mental health has improved. — Jay A. Perman, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1