overwhelming Definition

overwhelm
verb overwhelmed, overwhelming

1. To crush mentally; to overpower (a person's emotions or thoughts, etc).

Thesaurus: astonish, bowl over, stagger, confound, surprise.
2. To defeat completely by superior force or numbers.

Thesaurus: defeat, overcome, conquer, overthrow, beat, vanquish.
3. To supply or offer something in great amounts.

Example: overwhelmed with offers of help
Thesaurus: submerge, drown, inundate, deluge, engulf.

Etymology: 14c: from whelm to turn or roll.

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overwhelming
adj

1. Physically or mentally crushing; intensely powerful.

Thesaurus: overpowering, devastating, overriding, irresistible, inundating; astonishing, breathtaking; Antonym: insignificant, negligible.

Derivative: overwhelmingly
adverb

Etymology: 18c.