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overwhelm
[ oh-ver-hwelm, -welm ]
verb (used with object)
- to overcome completely in mind or feeling:
overwhelmed by remorse.
Roman troops were overwhelmed by barbarians.
- 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.
- to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything:
a child overwhelmed with presents; to overwhelm someone with questions.
- to overthrow.
overwhelm
/ ˌəʊ±¹É™Ëˆ·ÉÉ›±ô³¾ /
verb
- to overpower the thoughts, emotions, or senses of
- to overcome with irresistible force
- to overcome, as with a profusion or concentration of something
- to cover over or bury completely
- to weigh or rest upon overpoweringly
- archaic.to overturn
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
Origin of overwhelm1
Example Sentences
The senators wrote that one of Dhillon’s new directives reportedly required the division’s voting rights section to give priority to investigating election fraud, “despite overwhelming evidence†that it “is a rare occurrence.â€
"The defence case is that she panicked because she was overwhelmed by the fact that these four people had become so ill because of the food she had served them. Three people died."
"I felt an overwhelming feeling of shame and embarrassment," he said.
The overwhelming turnout made it clear that it was time to establish a permanent home base of their own.
Under Trump’s direction, Musk’s workers had already infiltrated much of the federal government in a lightning operation designed to overwhelm.
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Related 51³Ô¹Ïs
Overwhelm Vs. Underwhelm
What’s the difference between overwhelm and underwhelm?
The over- in overwhelm means “too much†and the under- in underwhelm essentially means “too little,†and the two words can be direct opposites, but they’re usually used in different contexts.
Overwhelm most commonly means to cause to be overcome with emotion as a result of an amount of something (work, stress, etc.) that’s just too much to handle. (It can also mean to overpower or physically cover beneath a mass of something). Underwhelm means to fail to impress, especially when that is the expectation.
Both words are often used in adjective forms: overwhelmed (overcome to the point of not being able to manage), overwhelming (describing something that leads to feeling overwhelmed), underwhelmed (unimpressed or disappointed), and underwhelming (unimpressive or disappointing).
Being overwhelmed isn’t always about stress or other negative emotions. You could be overwhelmed by a friend’s generosity or the birth of a child. Still, it’s usually about feeling a lot. In this way, underwhelm can be the opposite of overwhelm in some situations. For example, the same concert may overwhelm one person (perhaps it’s the first concert they’ve ever attended) but underwhelm someone else (maybe because it doesn’t meet their high expectations).
And, yes, whelm is a word. It can mean the same thing as overwhelm, but it’s very rarely used.
Here’s an example of overwhelm and underwhelm used correctly in the same sentence.
Example: I never want to underwhelm the fans, and sometimes that pressure can overwhelm me, but it all goes away when I walk on stage.
Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between overwhelm and underwhelm.
Quiz yourself on overwhelm vs. underwhelm!
Should overwhelm or underwhelm be used in the following sentence?
I thought taking six classes in one semester would _____ me with work, but I’ve been able to keep up pretty easily.
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