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 brand announced in a press release a redemption BOGO promotion after the first event met unprecedented demand, including running out of food, long lines and overwhelmed workers. —Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026

The Palisades, its homes, and its overwhelmed defenses had been built for a climate that no longer exists. —Literary Hub, 13 May 2026

And a lot of rain all at once causes problems for overwhelmed soil. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 13 May 2026

Most of Mariupol’s 19 hospitals were still open, but the doctors in them were overwhelmed with trauma victims from the siege. —James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1