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

Molina and her employee Manisa Ianakiev were overwhelmed. —Solvej Schou, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

When parents are overwhelmed and children are hidden from view, warning signs are easier to miss. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026

Women who are anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally reactive get labeled as depressed or hormonal. —Sarah Oreck, SELF, 2 Mar. 2026

McLean isn’t the type to get starstruck or overwhelmed. —Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1