overwhelmed

adjective

over·​whelmed ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welmd 

1

: overcome by force or numbers

Some jurisdictions are so overwhelmed that they are experimenting with routing school-children into specially designed courts that would keep first-time offenders from being saddled with an arrest record.

—Gary Fields and John R. Emshwiller

Only three Coast Guard rescue helicopters had managed to get into the air, and each was already overwhelmed by dozens of calls for help.

—Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

"We were overwhelmed," said John Robinson, the Rams' coach. "Clearly dominated."

—Paul Zimmerman

2

: completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling

When he first appeared in full regalia, I was overwhelmed.

—Jane Davison

Suddenly he felt overwhelmed by a wash of terror.

—Holly Black

He finds that the institutions that might compensate for what overwhelmed parents are unable to do are themselves undermined by stingy public policies.

—Lisbeth B. Schorr

Examples of overwhelmed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Suddenly, Lucas is overwhelmed with feelings, which Emmi suggests by splicing VHS footage into the scene — a sophisticated if somewhat distracting technique for putting audiences in Lucas’ fragmented headspace. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025

In a testament to how many Los Angeles residents love animals, McManus says the organization was quickly overwhelmed with extra-large crates, bowls, blankets and towels. —Johnny Dodd, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025

People are overwhelmed with what to do with all this information. —Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025

Here are some of the best ways to declutter your garage without getting overwhelmed. —Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1