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

Even those who are overwhelmed by climate change can be frozen into inaction, said Hayhoe. —Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024

Many states and cities that are increasingly overwhelmed by homelessness are hoping the Supreme Court overturns that decision — or severely limits it. —Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024

As Taiwan’s outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen said last fall, China is too overwhelmed with domestic problems to invade Taiwan. —Roberto J. González, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024

The extent of the death toll across the region is not known, but local reports revealed unusually high levels of deaths and that some mortuaries in Bamako had become overwhelmed. —Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024

For young people of color who are in crisis: The Steve Fund is dedicated to helping students of color who are feeling stressed, overwhelmed or depressed. —Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024

People who feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and short on time might not think that implementing a new ritual is worth the effort. —Grace McCarty, SELF, 11 Apr. 2024

Her son, Jack, is on the autism spectrum, and as a sensory-sensitive 7-year-old, he is easily overwhelmed by the bustling atmosphere typical at mosques during Ramadan. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024

Local roads and highways in states including Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Vermont and New Hampshire were overwhelmed with eclipse chasers, many of whom were from out of state. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1