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 of overwhelm

• overcome
• devastate
• crush

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

Over the weekend, political leaders from Marsabit County warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis that could overwhelm host communities already struggling with food and water shortages worsened by climate change. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Bright Saver is trying to get UL Solutions, the main certifier, to exempt solar kits under 360 watts, which many experts agree produce too little power to endanger the grid or overwhelm a home’s wiring. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

For Rao, Anthropic’s first CFO, appointed in 2024, financing that growth means securing the computing capacity needed to sustain it without allowing infrastructure commitments to overwhelm the business. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

The president left office above water on the economy, with 48% approving and 41% disapproving — high numbers for a president whose last year was overwhelmed by the Covid pandemic. — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for overwhelm

• elm
• helm
• realm

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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