overwhelmed
adjective
over·whelmed
ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welmd 
1
: overcome by force or numbers
Some jurisdictions are so overwhelmed that they are experimenting with routing school-children into specially designed courts that would keep first-time offenders from being saddled with an arrest record.—
Gary Fields and John R. Emshwiller
Gary Fields and John R. EmshwillerOnly three Coast Guard rescue helicopters had managed to get into the air, and each was already overwhelmed by dozens of calls for help.—Christopher Cooper and Robert Block
Christopher Cooper and Robert Block"We were overwhelmed," said John Robinson, the Rams' coach. "Clearly dominated."—Paul Zimmerman
Paul Zimmerman2
: completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling
When he first appeared in full regalia, I was overwhelmed.—Jane Davison
Jane DavisonSuddenly he felt overwhelmed by a wash of terror.—Holly Black
Holly BlackHe finds that the institutions that might compensate for what overwhelmed parents are unable to do are themselves undermined by stingy public policies.—Lisbeth B. Schorr
Lisbeth B. SchorrExamples of overwhelmed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the episode, Bob is overwhelmed with cooking for all of his customers — constantly throwing up in the kitchen — while Linda is about to give birth.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 July 2025
The Raiders were overwhelmed in this area in 2024 with Antonio Pierce as the main man on the sidelines competing against Andy Reid of the Chiefs, Jim Harbaugh of the Chargers and Sean Payton of the Broncos.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
This dashboard offers structure to traders who are overwhelmed with tools and systems.
—Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 25 July 2025
The line had briefly been halted so the overwhelmed kitchen could try to play catch up with the historic volume of customers.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
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Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 July 2025
The Raiders were overwhelmed in this area in 2024 with Antonio Pierce as the main man on the sidelines competing against Andy Reid of the Chiefs, Jim Harbaugh of the Chargers and Sean Payton of the Broncos.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
This dashboard offers structure to traders who are overwhelmed with tools and systems.
—Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 25 July 2025
The line had briefly been halted so the overwhelmed kitchen could try to play catch up with the historic volume of customers.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwhelmed. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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