overwhelm

verb over·whelm \ ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm , -ˈwelm \

Updated on: 1 Dec 2017

Definition of overwhelm

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

See overwhelm defined for English-language learners

See overwhelm defined for kids

overwhelm was our Word of the Day on 10/25/2017. Hear the podcast!

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 of overwhelm from the Web

Close to 1,400 companies (PDF) also track—or are planning to track—what a carbon-tax policy would cost them so their financial officers aren't overwhelmed if, or when, a carbon tax materializes.

— eric roston, Bloomberg.com, "There's One Unspeakable Fix That Would Help Pay for the GOP's Tax Cuts," 3 Nov. 2017
More sophisticated financial firms in London outcompete those in Frankfurt; California’s internet firms overwhelm competitors in Paris.

— The Economist, "Left in the lurchGlobalisation has marginalised many regions in the rich world," 21 Oct. 2017
Intemperate words are not fatal if ultimately reinforced by overwhelming force.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Are Wars Caused by Accidents?," 3 Oct. 2017
Patients are arriving in overwhelming numbers and in increasingly poor condition.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "San Juan Mayor Rips DHS Official: ‘Dammit, This Is Not a Good-News Story’," 29 Sep. 2017
The day before the special election, Breitbart’s homepage was overwhelmed by stories about Moore.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Can Bannon Fool the G.O.P. into Fearing Breitbart?," 27 Sep. 2017
Out-of-state crews travel hundreds of miles to help local energy companies that otherwise would be overwhelmed due to sheer volume of power outages.

— The Courier-Journal, "Hurricane aftermath: Local utilities restore power down south," 26 Sep. 2017
Perhaps overwhelmed by the huge influx of enemy personnel, protocols for anti-escape measures took some time to develop.

— jamie pringle and peter doyle, Smithsonian, "This Newly Excavated Underground Tunnel Reveals How 83 German Officers Escaped a World War II Prison Camp," 11 Aug. 2017
For those who enjoy—and who does not?—that pleasant stupefaction that comes from overwhelming the limbic system with fat and carbs and sugar and salt and liquor, chimaek is among the most potent delivery systems ever devised.

— wesley yang, Bon Appetit, "A Fried Chicken Bender in South Korea," 9 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overwhelm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

You could say that the introduction of "overwhelm" to the English language was a bit redundant. The word, which originally meant "to overturn or upset," was formed in Middle English by combining the prefix over- with the verb "whelmen," which also meant "to overturn." "Whelmen" has survived in English as "whelm," a verb which is largely synonymous with "overwhelm." Over the last 600 years, however, "overwhelm" has won over English speakers who have come to largely prefer it to "whelm," despite the latter's brevity. Perhaps the emphatic redundancy of "overwhelm" makes it seem like the more fitting word for describing the experience of being overcome by powerful forces or feelings.

Origin and Etymology of overwhelm

Middle English, from ¹over + whelmen to turn over, cover up

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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overwhelm Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

drain

Related Words

deluge, drown, sink; confute, defeat, refute; break, demoralize, distress, disturb, rock, shatter, stagger, throw, unman, unnerve, upset

Near Antonyms

dehydrate, dry, parch

OVERWHELM Defined for English Language Learners

overwhelm

verb

Definition of overwhelm for English Language Learners

: to affect (someone) very strongly
: to cause (someone) to have too many things to deal with
: to defeat (someone or something) completely

OVERWHELM Defined for Kids

overwhelm

verb over·whelm \ ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm , -ˈwelm \

Definition of overwhelm for Students

overwhelmed; overwhelming

1 : to overcome completely (as with great force or emotion)

The larger army overwhelmed the troops.

She was overwhelmed with grief.

2 : to cover over completely : submerge

Waves overwhelmed the small boat.

Learn More about overwhelm

See words that rhyme with overwhelm Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overwhelm Spanish Central: Translation of overwhelm Nglish: Translation of overwhelm for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of overwhelm for Arabic speakers

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overwhelm

Definition of overwhelm

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overwhelm was our Word of the Day on 10/25/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of overwhelm in a Sentence

Recent Examples of overwhelm from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of overwhelm

overwhelm Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

OVERWHELM Defined for English Language Learners

overwhelm

Definition of overwhelm for English Language Learners

OVERWHELM Defined for Kids

overwhelm

Definition of overwhelm for Students

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