Both come from Middle English whelmen, meaning "to overturn," and overwhelm has always been more popular, perhaps because the emphatic redundancy of overwhelm makes it seem more …

OVERWHELM definition: 1. to defeat someone or something by using a lot of force: 2. to cause someone to feel sudden…. Learn more.

overwhelm (ˌəʊvəˈwɛlm) vb (tr) 1. to overpower the thoughts, emotions, or senses of 2. to overcome with irresistible force

If a group of people overwhelm a place or another group, they gain complete control or victory over them. It was clear that one massive Allied offensive would overwhelm the weakened …

Definition of overwhelm verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything: a child overwhelmed with presents; to overwhelm someone with questions. to overthrow.

Dec 14, 2025 · overwhelm (countable and uncountable, plural overwhelms) The state or condition of being overwhelmed. quotations

OVERWHELM definition: to overcome completely in mind or feeling. See examples of overwhelm used in a sentence.

OVERWHELM meaning: 1 : to affect (someone) very strongly; 2 : to cause (someone) to have too many things to deal with

• Napoleon's army was strong enough to overwhelm nearly any potential enemy. • Most preparations overwhelm the flavor of good oysters. • With its greatly superior technology, the …