definitions

whelm

[ hwelm, welm ]
/ ʰwɛlm, wɛlm /
|

verb (used with object)

to submerge; engulf.
to overcome utterly; overwhelm: whelmed by misfortune.

verb (used without object)

to roll or surge over something, as in becoming submerged.

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Overwhelm vs. UnderwhelmOverwhelm vs. Underwhelm. These two might seem like straightforward antonyms, but there are a few differences to keep in mind.
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RELATED WORDS

deluge, swamp, flood, engulf, submerge, overflow, overrun, crush, overwhelm, win, reduce, overpower, weather, conquer, survive, surmount, stun, drain, inundate, brim

Nearby words

wheesh, wheeze, wheezy, whelk, whelked, whelm, whelp, whelping ice, when, when all's said and done, when in rome do as the romans do

Origin of whelm

1250–1300; Middle English whelme, apparently blend of dial. whelve (Old English gehwelfan to bend over) and helm2 (v.) (Old English helmian to cover)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whelmed

British Dictionary definitions for whelmed

whelm

/ (wɛlm) /

verb (tr) archaic

to engulf entirely with or as if with water
another word for overwhelm

Word Origin for whelm

C13: whelmen to turn over, of uncertain origin
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