View synonyms for overwhelm

overwhelm

[ oh-ver-hwelm, -welm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

to overcome completely in mind or feeling:
overwhelmed by remorse.
to overpower or overcome, especially with superior forces; destroy; crush:
Roman troops were overwhelmed by barbarians.
to cover or bury beneath a mass of something, as floodwaters, debris, or an avalanche; submerge:
Lava from erupting Vesuvius overwhelmed the city of Pompeii.
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.

overwhelm

/ ˌəʊvəˈwɛlm /

A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; over-, whelm

That was the last time the band allowed tepid performances and overwrought production overwhelm an otherwise solid set of songs.

He used his strength to overwhelm defenders but he also had nifty footwork, soft hands, and was a beautiful passer.

Everywhere around you and inside you are possibilities you must always keep open, yet never let overwhelm you.

Like all barbiturates, it can overwhelm alertness to the point of stopping the urge to breathe.

On the negative side, the sheer tonnage of opinions can overwhelm and cause a degree of amnesia.

Not infrequently these occasional waves are great enough to overwhelm persons who are upon the rocks next the shore.

Will its shadow so overwhelm the rest that her naturally pure spirit will shrink from me just at the moment when I think her mine?

Perhaps it is always thus when circumstances arise which overwhelm the human being.

As Michael mentally repeated the thunderous English line, a surge of melancholy caught him up to overwhelm his thoughts.

It swept down on the Three Sisters as if seeking to overwhelm them.

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