overwhelm
gb/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/ us/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/
B1
English
~ 5800
elönt, letaglóz, meghat, túlterhel, eláraszt, fölényesen legyőz, elsöpör, lerohan, elborít
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to overwhelm [someone] (with/by [something])
She was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers after the accident.
A baleset után mélyen meghatotta az idegenek kedvessége.
When he finally received the award, he was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn’t speak.
Amikor végre átvette a díjat, elöntötték az érzelmek, és meg sem tudott szólalni.
I was completely overwhelmed by her generosity and support.
The parents were overwhelmed by joy when they saw their baby for the first time.
Learner examples
He felt overwhelmed by the bad news.
Letaglózta a rossz hír.
I was overwhelmed with happiness when I passed the exam.
Elöntött a boldogság, amikor sikerült a vizsgám.
She was overwhelmed by her friend’s help.
They were overwhelmed by feelings of loss.
Common mistake:
Learners often say *"overwhelmed from"* instead of *"overwhelmed by/with"*, e.g. *"I was overwhelmed from sadness"* should be *"overwhelmed by sadness"*. Another confusion is using *"overwhelm"* only for negative feelings; in fact, it is often used for strong positive feelings too, such as *"overwhelmed with joy"* or *"overwhelmed by their kindness"*.
Meaning
to strongly affect with emotion
Collocations
feel overwhelmed
|be overwhelmed by emotion
|be overwhelmed with joy
|be overwhelmed by the news
|overwhelm someone with gratitude
|overwhelmed by sadness
Synonyms
overcome (Often used in a similar emotional sense, but can sound slightly more formal or dramatic.)
|
stun (Suggests a sudden emotional shock, often surprise; less about long-lasting feeling.)
|
shake (Focuses on emotional disturbance rather than the total amount of feeling.)
Antonyms
calm (To reduce strong emotion so that someone feels relaxed or in control.)
|
reassure (To remove fear or worry, the opposite of creating strong, upsetting emotion.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make someone feel so much emotion that it is difficult for them to think or speak.
To affect someone with such strong emotion that it is hard for them to react or think clearly.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to overwhelm [someone/something] with [things/tasks]
The small team was quickly overwhelmed with customer complaints after the product launch.
A termék bevezetése után a kis csapatot gyorsan elárasztották a vásárlói panaszok.
Hospitals were overwhelmed by the sudden rise in flu cases.
Az influenzás esetek hirtelen megugrása túlterhelte a kórházakat.
Our support inbox is overwhelmed with emails, so replies may be delayed.
The website’s servers were overwhelmed with traffic and crashed within minutes.
Learner examples
I am overwhelmed with homework this week.
Ezen a héten teljesen túl vagyok terhelve a házi feladatokkal.
The workers were overwhelmed by the extra jobs.
A dolgozókat túlterhelték a pluszfeladatok.
The call center was overwhelmed with phone calls.
The teacher did not want to overwhelm the students with too much information.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *"overwhelm"* with *"overwork"*. *"Overwhelm"* focuses on the amount of work or problems being too much to handle, while *"overwork"* means to make someone work too many hours. Another mistake is using *"overwhelmed of"* instead of *"overwhelmed with/by"*.
Meaning
to overload with work or tasks
Collocations
overwhelmed with work
|overwhelm the staff
|overwhelmed by emails
|overwhelm the system
|overwhelm the hospital
|overwhelm someone with requests
Synonyms
overload (More technical or literal for systems and capacity; less emotional than "overwhelm".)
|
swamp (Informal; strongly suggests having far too much to do.)
|
flood (Often used about large amounts of messages or information coming at once.)
Antonyms
relieve (To take away some work, stress, or duty.)
|
lighten (To make the amount of work or pressure smaller or easier.)
Themes
work
|business
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To give someone or something too much work, information, or problems to deal with.
To give a person, group, or system so many things to do or deal with that they cannot manage effectively.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to overwhelm [an enemy/opponent/defense]
The home team overwhelmed their opponents, winning 5–0.
A hazai csapat fölényesen legyőzte ellenfeleit: 5–0-ra nyert.
Government forces quickly overwhelmed the rebels and took back the capital.
A kormányerők gyorsan elsöpörték a lázadókat, és visszafoglalták a fővárost.
Our argument was overwhelmed by a flood of new evidence against us.
The smaller company was overwhelmed by a powerful competitor in the market.
Learner examples
Our team overwhelmed the other side in the final game.
A csapatunk fölényesen legyőzte az ellenfelet a döntő mérkőzésen.
The army overwhelmed the enemy in two days.
A hadsereg két nap alatt elsöpörte az ellenséget.
The stronger players quickly overwhelmed the weak defense.
The big company overwhelmed the small local shop.
Common mistake:
Learners may use *"win"* when the idea is a very easy or complete win. In phrases like *"They completely overwhelmed the other team"*, *"overwhelm"* is stronger than just *"win"*. Also note that this sense is usually about groups, teams, or forces, not about single everyday actions.
Meaning
to defeat completely or overpower
Collocations
overwhelm the enemy
|overwhelm the opposition
|overwhelm the defense
|overwhelm their rivals
|forces overwhelmed the city
|overwhelmed in a landslide victory
Synonyms
overpower (Emphasizes using greater strength or force to win.)
|
crush (Very strong and informal; suggests a completely one-sided victory.)
|
annihilate (Very strong and dramatic; suggests total destruction or defeat.)
Antonyms
withstand (To resist successfully and not be defeated or broken.)
|
repel (To successfully push back or fight off an attack.)
Themes
conflict
|sports
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To win against someone very easily because you are much stronger or have many more people.
To completely defeat an enemy, opponent, or resistance, especially by using much greater strength, power, or numbers.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to overwhelm [a place/structure] (with/by [substance])
Huge waves overwhelmed the small fishing boat during the storm.
A viharban hatalmas hullámok borították el a kis halászhajót.
Floodwaters overwhelmed the riverbanks and poured into nearby homes.
Az árvíz elöntötte a folyópartokat, és beömlött a közeli házakba.
The city’s drainage system was overwhelmed by the heavy rain.
The sea wall was overwhelmed, and the village had to be evacuated.
Learner examples
The strong waves overwhelmed the little boat.
Az erős hullámok elborították a kis hajót.
Heavy rain overwhelmed the old bridge.
A heves esőzés miatt a víz elöntötte a régi hidat.
Water overwhelmed the street after the storm.
The river overwhelmed the low walls and entered the town.
Common mistake:
Learners may only know the emotional sense and not recognize this physical meaning in news about floods or storms. Context with water, waves, or systems like *"drainage"* usually signals this literal, physical sense.
Meaning
to cover or submerge completely
Collocations
overwhelm the coast
|overwhelm the defenses
|overwhelmed by floodwaters
|storm overwhelmed the levees
|sewage system was overwhelmed
|waves overwhelmed the boat
Synonyms
submerge (More technical and literal for being under water; less about force or destruction.)
|
inundate (More formal; commonly used for floods covering land or structures.)
Antonyms
protect (To keep something safe from being covered or destroyed.)
|
drain (To remove water so that something is no longer covered by it.)
Themes
nature
|disasters
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To cover something fully with water or another thing so that it cannot work or be seen normally.
To cover or submerge something completely, especially with water, debris, or another physical force, so that it is seriously affected or destroyed.
Grammar
Dictionary form
overwhelm
IPA
GB/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/
US/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/
Syllables & stress
over - whelm (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (whelm)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: overwhelm
- 3rd Person Singular: overwhelms
- Present Participle: overwhelming
- Past: overwhelmed
Word family
Forms
Core family
overwhelmingly
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
underwhelm
verb
underwhelming
adjective
underwhelmed
adjective
Expressions
be overwhelmed by
1/bˈi ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmd bˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
strongly affected by too much
To feel or be affected very strongly because there is too much of something, such as emotion, work, or problems.
Examples
- I was overwhelmed by the support I received from my friends.
- The nurses were overwhelmed by the number of patients arriving at the clinic.
- He felt overwhelmed by all the changes happening at once.
be overwhelmed with
1/bˈi ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmd wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
to have too much of something
To have so much of something (work, messages, feelings, etc.) that it is hard to deal with it.
Examples
- We’ve been overwhelmed with orders since the sale started.
- She is overwhelmed with joy at the news of her promotion.
- The charity was overwhelmed with donations after the disaster.
feel overwhelmed
1/fˈil ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmd/
fixed phrase
to experience too much emotion or stress
To have the personal feeling that there is too much to think about, do, or feel at the same time.
Examples
- It’s normal to feel overwhelmed during your first week at a new job.
- She started to feel overwhelmed by all the responsibilities of being a parent.
- Many students feel overwhelmed before final exams.
overwhelm someone with work
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɪθ wˈɚk/
fixed phrase
to give too much work
To give a person so many tasks that they cannot do them all comfortably or on time.
Examples
- The manager didn’t want to overwhelm the new employee with work on her first day.
- Please don’t overwhelm him with work while he’s still recovering from his illness.
overwhelm the senses
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm ðə sˈɛnsɪz/
fixed phrase
to overload someone’s senses
To give someone so many strong sights, sounds, smells, or other sensations that it is hard for them to take it all in.
Examples
- The city’s noise and bright lights can overwhelm the senses of first‑time visitors.
- The rich colors and strong perfume in the garden overwhelmed her senses.