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

Pair these with tailored gift suggestions to help overwhelmed shoppers quickly find perfect presents. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

For instance, plenty of Americans are currently celebrating the outcome of the recent presidential election; many are indifferent to national politics; many others are overwhelmed with anger and despair over it. —Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024

On Monday, the overwhelmed owner turned over three tubs holding 73 mice. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 18 Nov. 2024

That one act can refocus an overwhelmed brain, Wright suggested. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1