overwhelm

verb

over·​whelm ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welm How to pronounce overwhelm (audio)
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.

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 In Massachusetts, the only state that guarantees emergency housing to families with children, the shelter system has been overwhelmed in recent months, with migrants representing about half of the occupants. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Aid groups say Israeli strikes on police are one reason public order has collapsed, leading to desperate Palestinians overwhelming aid trucks on the road. Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Tia Goldenberg, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Border communities, border agents and immigration facilities in the southern United States have been overwhelmed by large flows of asylum-seeking migrants. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 The problem has grown even more pronounced due to heavy rainfall overwhelming its pollution control systems. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The worry is that these cars will overwhelm rivals with appealing tech at bargain prices, driven by low-cost labor, that even Tesla can’t match. IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2024 Their coordinated violent attacks have overwhelmed and outgunned the Haiti National Police, which has struggled to respond to the surge. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Although some betterment content on TikTok has been helpful, plenty of viewers have found the videos to lead to more stress, as comparison of progress towards specific goals start to set in or simply feeling tired and overwhelmed by how much work is needed to complete plans over the year. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Mar. 2024 While there’s a seemingly fertile idea in watching how an autocracy crumbles from within and without, as unchecked power breeds a kind of insanity, the more cerebral aspects largely get lost in the show’s eccentricities, overwhelming any sense of nuance. Brian Lowry, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overwhelm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of overwhelm was in the 14th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near overwhelm

Cite this Entry

“Overwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwhelm. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

overwhelm

verb
over·​whelm ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm How to pronounce overwhelm (audio)
-ˈwelm
1
: to cover over completely : submerge
a boat overwhelmed by a wave
2
: to overcome completely : crush
overwhelmed by grief

More from Merriam-Webster on overwhelm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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