overwhelmed

American  

[oh-ver-hwelmd, -welmd] / ˌoʊ vərˈʰwɛlmd, -ˈwɛlmd /

adjective

1. completely overcome in mind or feeling.

   She told the overwhelmed and sobbing mother she would take care of all medical expenses.

2. loaded, filled, or addressed with an excessive amount of anything.

   Over 100 dogs were transported to other parts of the state from overwhelmed animal shelters on the coast.

3. overpowered or crushed, as by superior forces.

   The aim of the coalition's operation was to stop the dictator and his army from attacking already overwhelmed rebel troops.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of overwhelm.

Other Word Forms

• unoverwhelmed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of overwhelmed

overwhelm ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

His mom was overwhelmed by the idea of sorting through all the financial details of the household and asked Wildstein to take over.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Jackson, Miss., residents were left without drinking water for weeks in 2022 after flooding overwhelmed the city’s out-of-date water treatment facility.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

These higher-order effects are much harder to achieve because they are naturally very weak and quickly become overwhelmed by noise.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2026

“Five minutes into his talk, I started breaking down crying. I got overwhelmed by emotions,” Wang said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

The charity hospital her father had rushed her mother to—the only one they could afford—was overcrowded, and the nurses and doctors there were exhausted and overwhelmed.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• affected
• devastated
• moved
• overpowered