overload

[ verb oh-ver-lohd; noun oh-ver-lohd ]

verb (used with object)

1. to load to excess; overburden:

   Don't overload the raft or it will sink.

noun

1. an excessive load.

overload

verb

1. tr to put too large a load on or in

noun

1. an excessive load

Word History and Origins

Origin of overload¹

First recorded in 1545–55; over- + load

Example Sentences

Some small colleges and large universities, however, were able to push through the semester without an overload of cases, and are now at a crossroads over what to do for the holidays.

From Popular-Science

There has been a lot of discussion about how technology—for all its benefits including keeping us connected amid a time of social distancing—played its part in contributing to our confusion with cognitive overload and misinformation.

From Fortune

Exactly half of the subjects were classified as functionally overreaching, based on a significant decrease in their treadmill performance after the overload block.

From Outside Online

Advice overload plagues everyone and founders have it especially bad, given that most startups have a board of advisors.

From TechCrunch

In a world of information overload, when any small question can easily give way to a flood of answers—some more reliable than others—the idea of quick, direct access to the correct one is particularly powerful.

From Quartz

“The painting is lush and triggers a sensory overload,” Harding said.

From The Daily Beast

Users were hacked by clicking questionable pins, which rapidly spread and resulted in a bootylicious overload.

From The Daily Beast

This is true of all technology: the more advanced it becomes, the more we are forced to multitask and adapt to choice overload.

From The Daily Beast

Livestreams were “down nationwide due to a traffic overload/greater than expected,” the network told Variety in an email.

From The Daily Beast

It also is home to the Heartattack Grill, an ode to caloric overload where ‘350 lbs and over eats free’.

From The Daily Beast

In the meantime care should be taken not to overload the stomach.

From Project Gutenberg

Many of them had long since passed the red lines that marked the allowable overload point.

From Project Gutenberg

Mike the Angel knew that those points had been set low, but he also knew that they were approaching the real overload point.

From Project Gutenberg

And this was all on top of the ordinary human suffering, which did not abate one jot for all its overload.

From Project Gutenberg

The Cerebral, lacking a large alimentary system, is not tempted to overload his stomach or overtax his vital organs.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• overburden
• overwhelm