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

• crush
• devastate
• floor
• grind (down)
• oppress
• overcome
• overmaster
• overpower
• prostrate
• snow under
• swamp
• whelm

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

While Western allies have provided Ukraine with advanced air defense systems, including Patriot missiles, Russia's strategy appears designed to overwhelm these defenses with 'swarm' tactics—large, coordinated waves of missiles and drones aimed at saturating air defense systems. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Now Warning Issued To All iPhone Users Railroad companies and innovative entrants like Parallel Systems represent a market response to freight that’s set to soar, and that has the potential to overwhelm existing modes of shipment. —John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Much like last year’s The Zone of Interest, a film which almost feels like this adaptation is in conversation with, a genuine artist has peeled back the cinematic clichés that threaten to now overwhelm certain subjects and returned a horror, an urgency, and a palpable sense of life to them. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024

Such killings have overwhelmed Haiti’s National Police and a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that lacks funds and personnel, with the U.S. and other countries pushing for a U.N. peacekeeping mission. —Evens Sanon and Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024

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

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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