overload
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overloadsimple
-
overloadssimple
-
have overloadedperfect
-
has overloadedperfect
-
are overloadingprogressive
-
am overloadingprogressive
-
is overloadingprogressive
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have been overloadingperfect progressive
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has been overloadingperfect progressive
Past
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overloadedsimple
-
had overloadedperfect
-
was overloadingprogressive
-
were overloadingprogressive
-
had been overloadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overload
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.
Vocabulary lists containing overload
The House of Hades
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When I Was the Greatest
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: over-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He scored a Top 20 hit in 2012 with the melancholy single Overload.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Unicorn Overload comes from Japan’s Vanillaware, the developer of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and fans of that cult favorite will recognize the studio’s blend of colorful storytelling and real-time tactical battles.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2024
"Supernova" by rock duo Nova Twins, musician Self Esteem's "Prioritise Pleasure", singer-songwriter Sam Fender's chart-topping "Seventeen Going Under", Wet Leg's hit self-titled debut album and post-punk Yard Act's debut album "The Overload" completed the list.
From Reuters • Oct. 18, 2022
Overload, barrage, vulgarity, speed, density and whiplash change are Death Grips’ defaults, and its 22-minute “Steroids” megamix runs true to form.
From New York Times • May 26, 2017
This may be due to: Overload — Check your load and compare it with nameplate reading.
From The Automobile Storage Battery Its Care And Repair by Witte, Otto A.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
