OVER WHELMED Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

overwhelmed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmed

as in bewildered

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Dissimilar Words

overwhelmed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of overwhelm

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

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

At the same time, brands shouldn’t feel overwhelmed or assume that China’s high-risk status makes sourcing from every part of the country equally risky. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026 Dad was overwhelmed and he was sort of caught between his father, who never gave him a pat on the back, ignored him. — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026

Verb

Bettany is by turns hilariously perplexed, in the universal manner of parents engaging with teens everywhere, and achingly tender, in the more unusual way of a robot letting himself be overwhelmed by feeling for the first time. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 Clashes last week between armed groups from rival communities in the central part of South Sudan left scores of people dead and overwhelmed a hospital with wounded people, officials said. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed

Adjective

What appears before the bewildered trio is a boy with a face resembling a frog’s, named Fūsuke.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of bewildered

Verb

Decades of deforestation have devastated vast areas of orangutan habitat, pushing the animals into smaller pockets, increasing their vulnerability to poachers.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Going on two years after the wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, a popular moviehouse is ready for its closeup.

— Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastated

Verb

Streets on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach were flooded with at least a foot of water during high tide, with the police department advising residents and motorists to avoid the area.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 razed neighborhoods in Mississippi, flooded New Orleans and killed nearly 1,400 people.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of flooded

Adjective

Still, suppliers said the staggered schedule alone doesn’t account for the weaker demand.

— Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Two years later, Haitians were supposed to return to the polls to elect another tier of the staggered chamber along with lawmakers in the 119-member Lower Chamber of Deputies.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of staggered

Verb

The move comes after the Astros overcame a plethora of injuries to win the AL West with an 81-81 record and become the first team in Major League Baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The Cardinals overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Dodgers, 4-2, in the NLCS, while the Royals rallied from 2-0 down to defeat the Blue Jays, 4-3, in the ALCS.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcame

Verb

In 2024, the main nationwide entrance examination for medical schools was engulfed in controversy over a slew of irregularities, including the advance leak of the exam’s questions.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
These poignant and revealing journals cover the years after the financial disaster that engulfed Scott.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of engulfed

Adjective

It was released as the third of the three-pack of new albums Drake dropped to stunned audiences this May.

— Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
As Bijan Robinson raced down the sideline and the rest of his Falcons teammates sprinted in pursuit, a mixture of an eerie hush and a stunned buzz fell over Caesars Superdome from a crowd still not entirely settled in its seats.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of stunned

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“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of overwhelmed

adjective

verb

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