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

The men were almost overwhelmed by Islanders proffering bare hands in welcome, apparently jumping for joy. —Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026

The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed. —Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Debe's stepfather, Ed Holland, says her mother, Gloria, who was close to Debe, was overwhelmed with grief. —Sarah Prior, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026

After a full school day — and as Ethan’s medication began to wear off — the shift from playful to overwhelmed could happen in seconds. —Mayo Clinic News Network, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1