overwhelm

[ oh-ver-hwelm, -welm ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈʰwɛlm, -ˈwɛlm /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR overwhelm ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to overcome completely in mind or feeling: overwhelmed by remorse.

to overpower or overcome, especially with superior forces; destroy; crush: Roman troops were overwhelmed by barbarians.

to cover or bury beneath a mass of something, as floodwaters, debris, or an avalanche; submerge: Lava from erupting Vesuvius overwhelmed the city of Pompeii.

to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything: a child overwhelmed with presents; to overwhelm someone with questions.

to overthrow.

Words nearby overwhelm

overweary, overween, overweening, overweigh, overweight, overwhelm, overwhelming, overwind, overwinter, overwintering, overwire

Origin of overwhelm

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at over-, whelm

OTHER WORDS FROM overwhelm

un·o·ver·whelmed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for overwhelm

He used his strength to overwhelm defenders but he also had nifty footwork, soft hands, and was a beautiful passer.
Shaq, Year One|Charles P. Pierce|May 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Everywhere around you and inside you are possibilities you must always keep open, yet never let overwhelm you.
Big Business Bullies Americans into the Machinery of Common Core|James Poulos|March 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like all barbiturates, it can overwhelm alertness to the point of stopping the urge to breathe.
The Death Penalty’s Gruesome Truth|Kent Sepkowitz|February 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the negative side, the sheer tonnage of opinions can overwhelm and cause a degree of amnesia.
The Best Columns of the Year|John Avlon|December 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST

You reach a point where your frustrations just overwhelm and things have to change.
The Filibuster Fight Ain’t Over|Ben Jacobs|November 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It will overwhelm me as utterly as if this arch should crumble down upon our heads!
The Marble Faun, Volume I.|Nathaniel Hawthorne
A lesser will or a lower grade of personality cannot overwhelm a greater one.
The Leader|William Fitzgerald Jenkins (AKA Murray Leinster)
They overwhelm her with attentions and show great interest in her slightest word.
Fromont and Risler, Complete|Alphonse Daudet
We were greeted from the Fort in the same way, and its inhabitants ran out to meet us and overwhelm us with congratulations.
The Backwoodsman|Various
And yet the hierarchy managed to maintain its assumptions and to overwhelm all remedial attempts.
Luther and the Reformation:|Joseph A. Seiss

British Dictionary definitions for overwhelm

overwhelm

/ (ˌəʊvəˈwɛlm) /

verb (tr)

to overpower the thoughts, emotions, or senses of

to overcome with irresistible force

to overcome, as with a profusion or concentration of something

to cover over or bury completely

to weigh or rest upon overpoweringly

archaic to overturn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

overwhelm

verb (used with object)

Words related to overwhelm

Words nearby overwhelm

Origin of overwhelm

OTHER WORDS FROM overwhelm

Examples from the Web for overwhelm

British Dictionary definitions for overwhelm

verb (tr)