overwhelm

[ oh-ver-hwelm, -welm ]
See synonyms for: overwhelmoverwhelmedoverwhelmingoverwhelms on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to overcome completely in mind or feeling: overwhelmed by remorse.

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

  1. 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.

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

  3. to overthrow.

Origin of overwhelm

1
A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at over-, whelm

Words Nearby overwhelm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use overwhelm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for overwhelm

overwhelm

/ (ˌəʊvəˈwɛlm) /


verb(tr)
  1. to overpower the thoughts, emotions, or senses of

  2. to overcome with irresistible force

  1. to overcome, as with a profusion or concentration of something

  2. to cover over or bury completely

  3. to weigh or rest upon overpoweringly

  4. 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