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overwhelm definition

over·whelm (ō′vər hwelm′, -welm′)

transitive verb

  1. to pour down upon and cover over or bury beneath
  2. to make helpless, as with greater force or deep emotion; overcome; crush; overpower
  3. Obsolete to overthrow or overturn

Etymology: ME oferwhelmen: see over- & whelm

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

overwhelm Synonyms

overwhelm

v.

  1. To defeat

    overcome, overthrow, conquer, destroy; see confute, defeat 1, win 1.

  2. To drown

    submerge, inundate, waste; see flood, sink 1.

  3. To astonish

    puzzle, bewilder, confound; see confuse, surprise 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

overwhelm Usage Examples

Object

  • feeling: Rather than waiting until the last minute and feeling overwhelmed with the size of the job, start now and take small bites.

Preposition: with

  • grief: It has been really hard for me because every day I am overwhelmed with grief.

Subject

  • generosity: I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of all those who have helped me create this site.

Modifying Another Word

  • emotionally: He received a standing ovation and was emotionally overwhelmed by it.

Preposition: by

  • generosity: I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of all those who have helped me create this site.
overwhelm usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"overwhelm." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/overwhelm>

APA Style

overwhelm. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/overwhelm

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