overwhelmed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmednext
as in bewildered

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

overwhelmed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of overwhelm
1
as in devastated
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in flooded
to cover with a flood that spring the massive runoff from melting snows overwhelmed the valley

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overwhelmed
Adjective
Torrents overwhelmed infrastructure, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes, flooding about 170 houses and blocking roads, while a landslide hit Togane and muddy water inundated cars and railway tracks. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Separating students from those pressures for several hours could encourage face-to-face conversation and give overwhelmed teenagers a genuine break. — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
Those wanting to dip their toe for the first time in either genre won’t be overwhelmed. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Vilanch’s skepticism finally overwhelmed his willingness to believe. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed
  1. bewildered
  2. devastated
  3. flooded
  4. staggered
  5. overcame
  6. engulfed
  7. stunned
  8. crushed
Adjective
  • On Douban, a popular Chinese movie-review platform, viewers piled on with mocking and bewildered comments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • That's when Penix, who was standing nearby, pointed at him and made a bewildered face.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • Family members declined to speak on camera but told CBS News Miami they are devastated by the incident.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Daniel Vaz De Melo Sa, business development manager for Guidoni USA, said the flood of imports devastated operations at the company’s site in McRae, Georgia.
    — Bloomberg News, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • As men, women and children flooded across the border between Morocco and Spain, into the autonomous city of Ceuta at the end of July, European populists and anti-immigrant politicians capitalized on the shocking images of human desperation.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • And now, since Panettiere's death, fans have again flooded Neutrogena's social media.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of flooded
Adjective
  • The staggered start to the campaign means that there will be La Liga fixtures played on all but one day between August 15 and 31.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Madden 27 is launching with staggered access, beginning August 6 for MVP+ members.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • Wahab overcame late intervention from the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, which spent millions of dollars on ads to try to defeat her and boost opponent Melissa Hernandez.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Through a highly coordinated grassroots campaign, Nixon overcame a $15-million fundraising deficit against Vindman in a state where affordability, high property insurance costs and public infrastructure strain were top concerns for many voters.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcame
Verb
  • While the region is engulfed in conflict, the market is showing itself to be immune to the impact of it.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The wreck of a steam tugboat dating from the early 1900s is the latest relic to emerge from shrinking waters in Serbia as Europe's rivers run dry, with the continent engulfed in prolonged, extreme heat and drought.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of engulfed
Adjective
  • That changes when the Munsons arrive with their house guest, cousin Diana, whose good looks leave them stunned.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Motorcycle gunmen opened fire on Gastélum as stunned viewers watched online.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • Meanwhile, De rueda crushed another APP Next star Jayden Broderick in the semis before a tight 11-9 third game win for the title.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Student crackdown Jiang’s rise to the top began amid the tumult of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests, which were brutally crushed by Chinese troops in what remains one of the most sensitive political taboos in mainland China.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of crushed

Browse Nearby Words

overwhelm
overwhelmed
overwhelming
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on overwhelmed

Nglish: Translation of overwhelmed for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All