# overload

/ˈoʊvɝˌɫoʊd/ (US) · /ˌəʊvəlˈəʊd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/overload
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to give too much work or info

verb · CEFR B2

to give someone too much work, information, or responsibility to handle.

For teachers: to burden a person or system with an excessive amount of work, data, or responsibility beyond their capacity.

- I don't want to overload you with too many details on your first day.
- The manager was careful not to overload the junior staff with complex tasks during the final week of the project.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice: 'to be overloaded with'.

### 2. technical/electrical

verb · CEFR B2

to put too much weight on a vehicle or too much electricity through a wire.

For teachers: to supply an excessive physical load or electrical current to a device or circuit, potentially causing failure.

- If you plug too many appliances into one socket, you might overload the circuit.
- The safety inspector warned that the crane would overload if they attempted to lift the entire steel frame at once.

### 3. programming

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to use the same name for different computer functions that do different things.

For teachers: to define multiple functions or operators with the same name but different signatures or implementations.

- In this language, you can overload the plus sign to join strings together.
- The developer decided to overload the constructor to allow the object to be initialized with either a string or an integer.

Usage: Usually transitive, taking the name of the function or operator as the object.

### 4. an excessive amount

noun · CEFR B2

a situation where there is too much of something to deal with.

For teachers: an amount of something that exceeds the capacity of a system or person to process or carry it.

- The website crashed because of an information overload during the sale.
- The pilot suffered from sensory overload as multiple alarms began to sound simultaneously in the cockpit.

## Examples

- I am suffering from information overload after that long meeting.
- The server crashed because of a sudden traffic overload during the holiday sale.
- Cognitive overload occurs when the amount of incoming information exceeds the capacity of working memory, leading to a significant decrease in learning efficiency and decision-making quality.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.