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

The duo think they’re headed to the heavenly afterlife only to arrive at the office of the Devil (voiced by Culkin), who seems overwhelmed by his job. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026 Perez’s mom has been incredibly touched and honestly overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026

Verb

Then there is smell, dulled by our reliance on artificial fragrance; and sound, overwhelmed by notification pings. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026 People indicated they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of news, and in some cases felt isolated. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed

Adjective

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
Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of bewildered

Verb

Palestinian farmer Saad Nemer of Fasayil said the water being cut off has devastated his fields, adding that his family has documents that prove ownership of the land.

— Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Much of the worry from locals came from hurricanes in past years that devastated cities along the Pacific coast.

— MEGAN JANETSKY, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of devastated

Verb

Luhring Augustine moved into the 3,500-square-foot space in September 2020, as galleries flooded the neighborhood, lured by the low rents spawned by the Covid-19 crisis.

— News Desk, Artforum, 2 Oct. 2026
Clearly he hasn’t been flooded with offers since that accolade, so his agent has set him up with Lady Isabella, who claims to have a Netflix commission for a bio-doc about her life.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of flooded

Adjective

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
Other nations, which do not, are elected by the General Assembly rotate in and out every two years on a staggered basis.

— Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of staggered

Verb

Video released Wednesday morning captured the moments when a Kansas City Police Department detective and a Clay County Sheriff’s deputy rescued a man from a pickup truck that was engulfed in flames.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the Islamic State insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.

— Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of engulfed

Verb

The revolution has been crushed, tens of thousands remain imprisoned, and economic hardship has broken the backs of Egyptians.

— Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
The Brewers won game one 3-2 in controversial fashion after France crushed a towering fly ball that hit the American Family Field roof and fell harmlessly into the glove of outfielder Jackson Chourio.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of crushed

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“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of overwhelmed

adjective

verb

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