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
Gary Fields and John R. EmshwillerOnly 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
Christopher Cooper and Robert Block"We were overwhelmed," said John Robinson, the Rams' coach. "Clearly dominated."—Paul Zimmerman
Paul Zimmerman2
: completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling
When he first appeared in full regalia, I was overwhelmed.—Jane Davison
Jane DavisonSuddenly he felt overwhelmed by a wash of terror.—Holly Black
Holly BlackHe 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
Lisbeth B. SchorrExamples of overwhelmed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Selena Gomez was feeling overwhelmed with the love at the Cannes Film Festival!
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
Some people are overwhelmed by that and don’t know where to start.
—David Marchese, New York Times, 18 May 2024
Those findings were in line with past research that revealed people overwhelmed with stress were more likely to cheat as an emotional regulation strategy.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
Al Ahli Arab Hospital was overwhelmed with patients.
—Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 12 May 2024
Homelessness has increased every month for the past two years and the proposals would fulfill a promise to add 1,000 beds to an overwhelmed system that regularly turns people away.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
In Panama, humanitarian networks have been so overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of migrants on the march that authorities have started moving them north in buses.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
The real story was a bit more complicated than that, but the family who owned him was overwhelmed and couldn't keep him any more.
—Monica Potts, ABC News, 8 May 2024
Police officers on duty were swiftly overwhelmed and did not quell the situation for about three hours.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 8 May 2024
Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
Some people are overwhelmed by that and don’t know where to start.
—David Marchese, New York Times, 18 May 2024
Those findings were in line with past research that revealed people overwhelmed with stress were more likely to cheat as an emotional regulation strategy.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
Al Ahli Arab Hospital was overwhelmed with patients.
—Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 12 May 2024
Homelessness has increased every month for the past two years and the proposals would fulfill a promise to add 1,000 beds to an overwhelmed system that regularly turns people away.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
In Panama, humanitarian networks have been so overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of migrants on the march that authorities have started moving them north in buses.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
The real story was a bit more complicated than that, but the family who owned him was overwhelmed and couldn't keep him any more.
—Monica Potts, ABC News, 8 May 2024
Police officers on duty were swiftly overwhelmed and did not quell the situation for about three hours.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 8 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overwhelmed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overwhelmed
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwhelmed. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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