overwhelm

verb

over·whelm ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welm

overwhelmed; overwhelming; overwhelms

Synonyms of overwhelm next

transitive verb

: upset, overthrow

The tornado overwhelmed many mobile homes.

: to cover over completely : submerge

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

: to overcome by superior force or numbers

The city was overwhelmed by the invading army.

: 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.

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

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However, without automation, managing AR processes can overwhelm teams as a business scales. —

Ashish Srimal, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024 However, meteorologists say this next storm will not bring swells as strong as those that overwhelmed the wharf Monday. —

Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024 These are lights of forgiveness and determination to show us the way when darkness overwhelms our light. —

Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 25 Dec. 2024 That organizational change can overwhelm employees to the point of being harmful is hardly a new concept. —

Ron Carucci, Harvard Business Review, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overwhelm