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

Younger workers are especially overwhelmed due to a variety of reasons, according to David Feinberg, senior vice president of risk and insurance at benefits platform Justworks. —Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Stray dogs are a huge concern for shelters across the country, which are constantly overwhelmed with the arrival of new pets without an owner or a home. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

The government hotline to report missing persons from the floods has been completely overwhelmed. —Atika Shubert, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024

It’s intended to reduce the risk of illness for vulnerable populations and prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed. —Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1