overwhelm

verb

over·​whelm ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welm 

overwhelmed; overwhelming; overwhelms

transitive verb

1

: upset, overthrow

The tornado overwhelmed many mobile homes.

2

a

: to cover over completely : submerge

The city was overwhelmed by the flooding caused by the hurricane.

b

: to overcome by superior force or numbers

The city was overwhelmed by the invading army.

c

: to overpower in thought or feeling

overwhelmed with grief

overwhelmed by terror

A sense of inadequacy overwhelmed me.

overwhelmed with guilt

Did you know?

Let’s face it: life can get overwhelming. A person might be overwhelmed by a sensory experience or emotion; a city might be overwhelmed by an influx of tourists. Things can underwhelm, too: a bland meal, a bare wall, a lackluster playlist. But how often does an experience just, well, whelm you? The answer, unassumingly, is just as often as one overwhelms you—the two verbs are in fact largely synonymous. Both come from Middle English whelmen, meaning "to overturn," and overwhelm has always been more popular, perhaps because the emphatic redundancy of overwhelm makes it seem more apt for describing reactions to powerful forces or feelings.

Synonyms

• crush
• devastate
• floor
• grind (down)
• oppress
• overcome
• overmaster
• overpower
• prostrate
• snow under
• swamp
• whelm

Examples of overwhelm in a Sentence

Don't overwhelm him with facts.

They were overwhelmed with work.

The city was overwhelmed by the invading army.

Recent Examples on the Web

Malty, caramel notes overwhelm the hop bill, which should be impressive — the Idaho 7, Mosaic, Cryo and Cashmere varieties are in the mix — but isn’t. —Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

The influx of immigrants has caused problems in many places as the surge in population overwhelms local support systems and leads to competition for a limited supply of housing. —Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Today's top stories: → Eclipse visitors were supposed to overwhelm Texas roads. —Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2024

Then, after World War I, much of Europe went into a racial panic that colonial populations would rise up and overwhelm civilization. —Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024

On Sunday, the Observer newspaper reported that neo-Nazi groups were making complaints en masse under the new law in an attempt to overwhelm Scottish police in protest. —Leo Sands, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

Bwari, a satellite town 37 miles from the capital, has been overwhelmed by kidnap attacks for the last year, a sign of the growing nature of the problem. —Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024

This invasion will soon overwhelm police agencies and social workers and another Sacramento bill funded by the taxpayers which will do nothing but enrich some NGO. —Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 8 Apr. 2024

Anna Paquin is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love she's received amid her ongoing health journey. —Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from over entry 1 + whelmen to turn over, cover up

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

overwhelm

verb

over·​whelm ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm 

-ˈwelm

1

: to cover over completely : submerge

a boat overwhelmed by a wave

2

: to overcome completely : crush

overwhelmed by grief