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

Tickets for the Chicago Field Museum's Pokémon Fossil exhibit went live Tuesday, March 3, to an unexpected surge of customers, overwhelming the museum's website and creating hours-long queues. —Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026

These Bruins overwhelmed the Hawkeyes by displaying every necessary strength required to take the final step and finish the job next month in Phoenix. —Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026

As warming oceans increase the likelihood and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea and raise the chances of landfall on the Arabian Peninsula, storm surge and extreme rainfall could overwhelm drainage systems and damage coastal desalination. —Annika Hammerschlag, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026

Maybe the Ducks’ talent and speed will just overwhelm them. —Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 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