overload

American  

[oh-ver-lohd, oh-ver-lohd] / ˌoʊ vərˈloʊd, ˈoʊ vərˌloʊd /

verb (used with object)

• overloads,
  present (3rd person singular)
• overloaded,
  past participle,  past
• overloading
  present participle

1. to load to excess; overburden.

   Don't overload the raft or it will sink.

---

noun

• overloads
  plural

1. an excessive load.

overload British  

verb

1. (tr) to put too large a load on or in

---

noun

1. an excessive load

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• overloads
  plural

Participles

• overloading
  present
• overloaded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• overload
  simple
• overloads
  simple
• have overloaded
  perfect
• has overloaded
  perfect
• am overloading
  progressive
• are overloading
  progressive
• is overloading
  progressive
• have been overloading
  perfect progressive
• has been overloading
  perfect progressive

Past

• overloaded
  simple
• had overloaded
  perfect
• was overloading
  progressive
• were overloading
  progressive
• had been overloading
  perfect progressive

Future

• will overload
  simple
• will have overloaded
  perfect
• will be overloading
  progressive
• will have been overloading
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of overload

First recorded in 1545–55; over- + load

Explanation

To overload is to load an excessive amount in or on something, such as an overload of electricity which shorts out the circuits. Overloading causes a "Too much!" situation. To overload is to push something or someone too far. A supervisor can overload an employee by assigning too much work. People can overload a bus if there are too many of them. A fuse will blow if too many appliances overload the circuits; this is called an overload (the noun form). When something gets overloaded, it usually stops working. Hair can overload or clog a sink, which will stop draining water. When something gets overloaded, there's more of something than it can handle.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overload overloads overloaded overloading

Brands have to develop distinct personalities to reach consumers suffering from information overload, Virmani said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

In the age of information overload, nearly every elite athlete has to figure out when to throw the watch away.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Now may not be the time to whip up your favorite cold salads or overload on the “L” in your BLTs.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

In such conditions, a 49-foot boat would typically be stable and 20 passengers wouldn’t be expected to overload it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

And not blackness like I passed out from the overload of girlyness in Becca's room.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

Under Pochettino, the U.S. approach was defined by an aggressive pressing system and tactical fluidity, with the team building from a back-three structure that freed its wing backs to exploit overloads when pushing forward.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Patients also recovered more quickly from metabolic crises, i.e., overloads of the energy metabolism, which can suddenly worsen the course of this disorder.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 31, 2026

Strong solar storms however bring more than just stunning light displays -- they can also disrupt communication systems and cause satellite malfunctions and power grid overloads.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025

In this system, Amorim aims to get the better of opponents by using overloads across the pitch.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2025

For finish and force these productions are far ahead of the earlier verses of the Postbag and Fudge Family in Paris: they are also clear of the rhetoric which occasionally overloads the latter.

From Thomas Moore by Stephen Lucius Gwynn

One survivor in her 40s told the AFP news agency that the ferry had been particularly overloaded at the time with goods - and passengers had raised concerns about the rough conditions.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The overloaded government ferry -- a vital link for villagers and fish traders around the vast lake -- overturned in choppy waters on Tuesday in one of the country's worst passenger boat disasters.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

But the more overloaded their minds become, the more they pine for a hands-on task—ideally one so noisy that nothing can interrupt their precious solitude.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

"But they become overloaded, so to speak. As a result, they can no longer effectively contribute to repair."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026

I wished I could help her, but I felt too hungry and tired and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

These are what allow golfers to generate speed without overloading the body.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

Davis said when he put the service charge policy in place several years ago, he carefully considered the language to nod to the history of tipping without overloading customers with information.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

But the biggest mistake many of us make is overloading the dishwasher, she says.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026

"Restoration is proceeding in stages. This approach is required to avoid overloading the networks and to prevent new accidents," it added.

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

Meaning: They don’t need as much of their brains to process information and therefore might be able to add on more tasks without overloading the system.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• overburden
• overwhelm