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. 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
Christopher Cooper and Robert Block
"We were overwhelmed," said John Robinson, the Rams' coach. "Clearly dominated."—Paul Zimmerman
Paul Zimmerman
2
: completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling
When he first appeared in full regalia, I was overwhelmed.—Jane Davison
Jane Davison
Suddenly he felt overwhelmed by a wash of terror.—Holly Black
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
Lisbeth B. Schorr
Examples of overwhelmed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The entire neighborhood, which includes Afghan immigrant Rahim (Elham Ehsas) and his elderly parents, has been evacuated to nearby Hyde Park, and the cops, led by the efficient but slightly overwhelmed Chief Superintendent Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), have set up a security cordon. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026 Celeste’s family was overwhelmed and devastated to hear details of the allegations against d4vd during his arraignment on Monday, their attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, told CNN. —Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026 The episodes run an easily digestible 15 to 20 minutes each — just long enough to learn something new without feeling overwhelmed. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026 Their electric grid is overwhelmed. —Todd Larsen, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026 Celeste’s family was overwhelmed and devastated to hear details of the allegations against d4vd during his arraignment on Monday, their attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, told CNN. —Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026 The episodes run an easily digestible 15 to 20 minutes each — just long enough to learn something new without feeling overwhelmed. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026 Their electric grid is overwhelmed. —Todd Larsen, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/overwhelmed. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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