overwhelm means the state or condition of being overwhelmed.
overwhelm is pronounced /ˌəʊ.vəˈwɛlm/.
Why “overwhelm” is a great word
To overpower, engulf, or submerge completely, either physically or emotionally. From Middle English overwhelmen, from over- (expressing excess) + whelmen ("to overturn or cover"), from Old English -hwielfan ("to cover over"). Unlike "underwhelm" (which denotes a specific, paltry failure to meet expectations) or "grip" (which suggests a firm, steady control), to overwhelm is to be struck by a sudden, obliterating surge that washes all before it. It is the wave that snatches breath from the lungs, the inbox whose tide of red flags drowns the day, or the grief that arrives not as a visitor but as the new atmosphere of the room; a definitive crossing from the manageable to the masterless, where no dry corner remains.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English overwhelmen, equivalent to over- + whelm.
noun
- The state or condition of being overwhelmed.
verb
- To engulf, surge over and submerge.e.g.“The dinghy was overwhelmed by the great wave.”
- To overpower, crush.e.g.“In December 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland with overwhelming force.”
- To overpower emotionally.e.g.“He was overwhelmed with guilt.”
- To cause to surround, to cover.e.g.“I lay Turpentine all over the same: then I overwhelm a broader pipe about the first”
Words closest in meaning
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