overwhelm

English

Etymology

From Middle English overwhelmen, equivalent to over- +‎ whelm.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌəʊvəˈʍɛlm/, /ˌəʊvəˈwɛlm/
- Audio (RP) (file)
(US) IPA^(key): /ˌoʊvɚˈʍɛlm/, /ˌoʊvɚˈwɛlm/
(Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˌovɚˈʍɛlm/
Rhymes: -ɛlm

Verb

overwhelm (third-person singular simple present overwhelms, present participle overwhelming, simple past and past participle overwhelmed)

To engulf, surge over and submerge.
The dinghy was overwhelmed by the great wave.
Synonym: swamp
To overpower, crush.
In December 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland with overwhelming force.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Psalms 78:53:
  The sea overwhelmed their enemies.
To overpower emotionally.
He was overwhelmed with guilt.
Joy overwhelmed her when she realized that she had won a million dollars.
- 2017 July 23, Brandon Nowalk, “The great game begins with a bang on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:
  Theon Greyjoy is the most well developed character on that stage, and the action comes down to him. Euron, with Yara underneath his ax, goads Theon into attack. But Theon is overwhelmed by the violence all around him, and instead he jumps overboard.
To cause to surround, to cover.
- 1684, Denis Papin, Instrument to make turpentine penetrate plaster and wood using the airpump
  I lay Turpentine all over the same: then I overwhelm a broader pipe about the first

Antonyms

underwhelm

Derived terms

overwhelming

Related terms

whelm

Translations

engulf, surge over

Bulgarian: заливам (bg) (zalivam)
Catalan: superar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 吞沒／吞没 (zh) (tūnmò)
Czech: zaplavit pf, zaplavovat impf, zavalit pf
Danish: ^{(please verify)} opsluge, ^{(please verify)} omslutte
Finnish: hukuttaa (fi)
French: abreuver (fr) (in passive voice)
Haitian Creole: sitèlman chaj
Hungarian: eláraszt (hu), elönt (hu)
Italian: sommergere (it)
Latin: obruō
Malay: tenggelam (ms)
Maori: āpuru, whakatina
Polish: zalewać (pl)
Portuguese: engolir (pt)
Romanian: înghiți (ro)
Russian: поглоща́ть (ru) impf (pogloščátʹ), зава́ливать (ru) impf (zaválivatʹ)
Serbo-Croatian: preplaviti (sh)
Ukrainian: поглина́ти (pohlynáty), зава́лювати (zaváljuvaty)

to overpower, crush

Arabic: اِسْتَبَدَّ‎ (ar) (istabadda)
Bulgarian: разбивам (bg) (razbivam), съкрушавам (bg) (sǎkrušavam)
Catalan: superar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 壓倒／压倒 (zh) (yādǎo)
Czech: přemoci pf, zmáhat impf, zdolat pf, zdolávat impf
Danish: overmande
Dutch: overweldigen (nl), overmannen (nl)
Finnish: murskata (fi)
French: accabler (fr), envahir (fr)
German: überwältigen (de), übermannen (de)
Hungarian: legyőz (hu), túlterhel (hu), elborít (hu)
Italian: schiacciare (it), dominare (it)
Japanese: 圧倒する (ja) (あっとうする, attō suru)
Korean: 압도하다 (ko) (apdohada)
Latin: obruō
Malay: mengalahkan
Maori: taupoki, haukerekere, āpuru, poke (mi)
Middle English: daunten
Polish: miażdżyć (pl)
Portuguese: dominar (pt), esmagar (pt), avassalar (pt)
Romanian: copleși (ro)
Russian: подавля́ть (ru) impf (podavljátʹ), сокруша́ть (ru) impf (sokrušátʹ), разбива́ть (ru) impf (razbivátʹ), переси́ливать (ru) impf (peresílivatʹ)
Swedish: överväldiga (sv)
Ukrainian: придуши́ти (prydušýty), розгроми́ти (rozhromýty), розби́ти (rozbýty), переванта́жувати (perevantážuvaty), переважа́ти (perevažáty)
Yiddish: אַוועקלייגן‎‎ pf (avekleygn‎) (colloquial)

overpower emotionally

Bulgarian: смайвам (bg) (smajvam), поразявам (bg) (porazjavam)
Catalan: superar (ca), atrafegar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 壓垮／压垮 (yākuǎ), 壓倒／压倒 (zh) (yādǎo)
Czech: přemoci, ochromit (cs) pf, ochromovat impf, uchvátit pf, uchvacovat impf, pohltit pf, pohlcovat impf
Danish: overvælde
Finnish: hukuttaa alleen, vallata (fi), häkellyttää, musertaa (fi)
French: accabler (fr)
Hungarian: hatalmába kerít (hu), úrrá lesz, elfog (hu), elönt (hu), erőt vesz, lesújt (hu)
Italian: travolgere (it), sopraffare (it), sconvolgere (it), emozionare (it)
Malay: terharu, tenggelam (ms)
Maori: haukerekere
Polish: przytłaczać (pl) impf, przytłoczyć pf, ogarniać (pl) impf, ogarnąć (pl) pf
Portuguese: dominar (pt)
Romanian: copleși (ro)
Russian: переполня́ть (ru) impf (perepolnjátʹ), захлёстывать (ru) impf (zaxljóstyvatʹ), поглощать (ru) (pogloščatʹ)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: прерлавити
Latin: preplaviti (sh)
Spanish: agobiar (es)
Swedish: överväldiga (sv)
Ukrainian: приголо́мшувати (pryholómšuvaty), перепо́внювати (perepóvnjuvaty)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Arabic: ^{(please verify)} غَلِبَ‎ (ḡaliba)
Dutch: ^{(please verify)} overweldigen (nl) (2)
German: ^{(please verify)} überrumpeln (de), ^{(please verify)} überwältigen (de) (2)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} sommergere (it), ^{(please verify)} seppellire (it), ^{(please verify)} sgominare (it), ^{(please verify)} travolgere (it), ^{(please verify)} sopraffare (it), ^{(please verify)} confondere (it), ^{(please verify)} imbarazzare
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} abrumar (es), ^{(please verify)} agobiar (es)
Swedish: ^{(please verify)} överväldiga (sv)
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} başından aşmak

Noun

overwhelm (countable and uncountable, plural overwhelms)

The state or condition of being overwhelmed.
- 1999, Jason Holmgren, Ironclaw‎:
  If you beat your opponent by a margin of 5 or more, you have Overwhelmingly Succeeded. This type of success is often simply called an Overwhelm. […] An overwhelm means you've not only succeeded, but you've done something better than the average success would be.
- 2015, Rolf Dane, Deep Clearing, Releasing the Power of Your Mind‎:
  The fact is, that full permeation and understanding of an overwhelm or trauma makes it cease as an overwhelm or trauma.
- 2021, Star Trek: Discovery, “Stormy Weather”, season 4, episode 6, spoken by Michael Burnham:
  And what you’re feeling is normal in a dangerous situation — overwhelm and guilt when someone is harmed.