# overwhelm

/ˌoʊvɝˈwɛɫm/ (US) · /ˌəʊvəwˈɛlm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/overwhelm
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. emotional impact

verb · CEFR B2

to cause someone to feel sudden, strong emotions that are difficult to handle.

For teachers: to affect someone's emotions so deeply that they are unable to react or think clearly.

- She was overwhelmed by the kindness of the strangers who helped her.
- The young musician was visibly overwhelmed by the standing ovation, struggling to find the words to thank the audience.

### 2. too much work or information

verb · CEFR B2

to give someone so much to do that they cannot deal with it all.

For teachers: to inundate someone with an excessive amount of work, information, or responsibility.

- The staff were overwhelmed by the number of phone calls after the announcement.
- The customer service department was completely overwhelmed by the volume of complaints following the software update.

### 3. to defeat or crush

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to defeat someone or something using a lot of force.

For teachers: to defeat or overcome by superior force or numbers.

- The small army was quickly overwhelmed by the larger force.
- The defensive lines were overwhelmed within hours as the opposing forces launched a coordinated multi-front assault.

### 4. to submerge

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to cover something completely with water or another liquid.

For teachers: to engulf or submerge something completely, typically by a surge of water.

- A giant wave overwhelmed the small boat during the storm.
- The coastal village was overwhelmed by the rising tide, leaving the streets buried under a thick layer of silt and debris.

### 5. state of being overwhelmed

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

the feeling of having too much to deal with.

For teachers: the psychological state of being overcome by stress or excessive stimuli.

- She felt a sense of overwhelm as she looked at her long to-do list.
- The therapist helped the patient develop strategies to manage the daily overwhelm caused by his demanding executive role.

## Examples

- The sheer amount of homework will overwhelm the students.
- The sudden surge of orders during the holiday sale threatened to overwhelm the small warehouse team.
- The defense was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer speed and coordination of the opposing team's offensive strategy, leading to a decisive defeat.

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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.