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
Selena Gomez was feeling overwhelmed with the love at the Cannes Film Festival!
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
Some people are overwhelmed by that and don’t know where to start.
—David Marchese, New York Times, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for overwhelmed 
Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
Some people are overwhelmed by that and don’t know where to start.
—David Marchese, New York Times, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for overwhelmed
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overwhelmed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overwhelmed
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwhelmed. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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