overwhelmed
Americanadjective
-
completely overcome in mind or feeling.
She told the overwhelmed and sobbing mother she would take care of all medical expenses.
-
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.
-
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.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overwhelmed
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.
This means that when it rains, if there is not enough spare capacity, the system and sewage treatment works can be quickly overwhelmed.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
At the Cox's Bazar courthouse, prosecutor Tawhidul Anwar said he was overwhelmed by the scale of the problem.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
The international uproar that followed overwhelmed the U.S. team, which played its worst game of the tournament against Belgium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Krissy West, a school physical therapist and mother from New Hampshire, started advocating for more recess last year, after seeing her daughter Daisy get overwhelmed, sometimes resulting in tantrums after school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The numbness that had overwhelmed his body started to recede like a tide, and he had the strange sensation of emerging from something, of his head clearing.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
