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

Only 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

"We were overwhelmed," said John Robinson, the Rams' coach. "Clearly dominated."

—Paul Zimmerman

2

: completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling

When he first appeared in full regalia, I was overwhelmed.

—Jane Davison

Suddenly he felt overwhelmed by a wash of terror.

—Holly Black

He 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

Examples of overwhelmed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even Erivo’s Wicked costars aren’t immune from being overwhelmed by her singing voice. —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 3 Mar. 2025

But that doesn’t mean couples who feel overwhelmed by the idea of a massive wedding don’t have options. —Roger Sands, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

Zoe Saldaña was overwhelmed with love for her family and her husband’s glorious hair while accepting the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 Oscars. —EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025

Children in meltdown mode are typically overwhelmed and lack the skills to process big emotions. —Reem Raouda, Contributor, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1