Word of the Day

: November 8, 2011

overwhelm

verb oh-ver-WELM

What It Means

1 : upset, overthrow

2 a : to cover over completely : submerge

b : to overcome by superior force or numbers

c : to overpower in thought or feeling

overwhelm in Context

The flurry of term papers and exams during the final weeks of the semester can overwhelm some students.

"So-called 'denial of service' attacks involve bombarding websites with so much bogus traffic that their servers are overwhelmed." -- From an article in the Associated Press State & Local Wire, October 10, 2011

Did You Know?

You could say that the introduction of "overwhelm" to the English language was a bit redundant. The word, which originally meant "to overturn or upset," was formed in Middle English by combining the prefix "over-" with the verb "whelmen," which also meant "to overturn." "Whelmen" has survived in English as "whelm," a verb which is largely synonymous with "overwhelm." Over the last 600 years, however, "overwhelm" has won over English speakers who have come to largely prefer it to "whelm," despite the latter's brevity. Perhaps the emphatic redundancy of "overwhelm" makes it seem like the more fitting word for describing the experience of being overcome by powerful forces or feelings.