overload

1 of 2

verb

over·​load ˌō-vər-ˈlōd How to pronounce overload (audio)
overloaded; overloading; overloads

transitive verb

: to load (something or someone) to excess: such as
a
: to put too large a load on or in (something)
overload a ship
overload a washing machine
Overloading the trailer poses a safety risk.
… a bad winter can so overload roofs with snow that their collapses become endemic.Henry Petroski
b
: to give too much of something to (someone or something) : to supply with an excess of something
overloading students with more information than they can retain
More than ever, the upper middle class is synonymous with the stressed-out class. Their bosses are overloading them with work …Joseph Spiers
… have overloaded the market with too many strange designs and weird color combinations.Mimi Valdés
a movie overloaded with special effects
a court system overloaded with criminal cases
c
: to cause too large a load in (something, such as an electrical circuit)
Too much current traveling through one circuit can cause an overload. The wires inside a wall can get too hot and start a fire. Using a special safety power strip can help prevent overloading a circuit.Science

overload

2 of 2

noun

over·​load ˈō-vər-ˌlōd How to pronounce overload (audio)
plural overloads
: an excessive load or amount of something
an overload of cargo
an overload of details
If your dog is suffering from an overload of stress, he will appear depressed, inactive, sluggish and unresponsive.Daniel Seligman
You fight your superficiality, your shallowness, so as to try to come at people without unreal expectations, without an overload of bias or hope or arrogance …Philip Roth
If you're a regular reader of blogs, … you've probably been frustrated from time to time by information overload: the blogosphere creates way too much material for any human being to comfortably digest.Chris Taylor
Large department stores tend to bring on sensory overload [=overstimulation of the senses]Stephen O'Shea and Joan Harting

Examples of overload in a Sentence

Verb try not to overload your backpack, or you could end up with back problems
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking but local media suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024 The call centers may be overloaded so consider enrolling online. Diane Omdahl, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
Lamine Yamal has recovered enough from a muscle overload to occupy his right wing berth, which means that Raphinha returns to the left on the other side of Robert Lewandowski. FC Barcelona Starting XI Vs. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 In Leon Bailey and Lucas Digne, Villa had two players stationed in holding positions outside the Liverpool 18-yard box, but the home side’s rapid attack caused an instant overload. Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overload 

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1553, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overload was in 1553

Dictionary Entries Near overload

Cite this Entry

“Overload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overload. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

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