overwhelming
gb/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ/ us/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ/
B2
English
~ 6300
elsöprő, letaglózó, nyomasztó, kezelhetetlen, megterhelő, meggyőző, túlnyomó
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is overwhelming for [someone]
The grief was so overwhelming that she could not speak.
Olyan elsöprő erejű volt a gyász, hogy nem tudott megszólalni.
Walking into the crowded, noisy station was an overwhelming experience for him.
A zsúfolt, zajos állomásra belépni nyomasztó élmény volt számára.
He felt an overwhelming sense of relief when he heard that everyone was safe.
The smell of smoke was overwhelming and made it hard to breathe.
Her kindness toward a stranger was overwhelming and brought him to tears.
Learner examples
The noise in the city is overwhelming for me.
A város zaja nyomasztó számomra.
After the accident, her fear was overwhelming.
A baleset után elsöprő félelem lett úrrá rajta.
I felt an overwhelming need to call my family.
The pain was overwhelming, and he started to cry.
His love for his child is overwhelming.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I am overwhelming"* when they mean *"I am overwhelmed"*. Use **overwhelming** for the thing that causes the strong feeling ("The news is overwhelming") and **overwhelmed** for the person who feels it ("I feel overwhelmed").
Meaning
very strong and hard to bear
Collocations
overwhelming feeling
|overwhelming sadness
|overwhelming joy
|overwhelming relief
|overwhelming fear
|overwhelming anxiety
Synonyms
overpowering (Stresses being completely controlled or dominated by a feeling; slightly more formal.)
|
intense (Suggests strong feelings but not always that they are hard to handle.)
Antonyms
manageable (Describes feelings or situations that can be handled without great difficulty.)
|
mild (Emphasizes that the feeling is not strong or extreme.)
Themes
emotions
|mental_health
|daily_life
|health
Definition
Very strong and difficult to control or deal with in your mind or feelings.
So strong in emotional or mental effect that it is difficult to react, think, or cope normally.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[task/amount] is overwhelming for [someone]
The amount of paperwork was overwhelming for the small team.
A kis csapat számára nyomasztóan sok volt a papírmunka.
Moving to a new country can be overwhelming because there is so much to learn at once.
Egy új országba költözni nyomasztó lehet, mert egyszerre rengeteg mindent kell megtanulni.
The hospital faced an overwhelming number of patients after the accident.
Choosing a phone can be overwhelming because there are so many options.
The financial cost of the repairs was overwhelming for the family.
Learner examples
The work this week is overwhelming.
Ezen a héten nyomasztóan sok a munka.
The teacher gave us an overwhelming amount of homework.
A tanár nyomasztóan sok házi feladatot adott nekünk.
The many new rules were overwhelming for the staff.
Planning the wedding became overwhelming for them.
The problems felt overwhelming, so he asked for help.
Common mistake:
Learners may use **very** too often ("very very big") instead of a single strong adjective like **overwhelming**. Also, avoid saying *"I am overwhelming with work"*; say **"I am overwhelmed with work"** or **"My work is overwhelming"**.
Meaning
too much to deal with
Collocations
overwhelming workload
|overwhelming amount
|overwhelming pressure
|overwhelming number
|overwhelming demand
|overwhelming choice
Synonyms
crushing (Suggests a heavy burden or pressure, often emotional or economic.)
|
unmanageable (Focuses on the fact that something cannot be effectively controlled or handled.)
Antonyms
manageable (Describes a size or amount that can be handled without too much difficulty.)
|
reasonable (Suggests that the amount or demand is fair and not excessive.)
Themes
work
|daily_life
|stress
|core_vocabulary
Definition
So big or so much that it is hard to handle or manage.
Very large in quantity, complexity, or demand, making it difficult to deal with or manage.
B2
3
Usage pattern:
an overwhelming [majority/support/victory/evidence]
The proposal passed with an overwhelming majority in parliament.
A parlament elsöprő többséggel fogadta el a javaslatot.
There is overwhelming evidence that the drug is safe.
Elsöprő erejű bizonyítékok támasztják alá, hogy a gyógyszer biztonságos.
The team won by an overwhelming margin of thirty points.
She received overwhelming support from her colleagues for the new policy.
Against overwhelming odds, the smaller side still refused to surrender.
Learner examples
The party won by an overwhelming majority.
A párt elsöprő többséggel nyert.
Scientists found overwhelming evidence for climate change.
A tudósok elsöprő erejű bizonyítékokat találtak a klímaváltozásra.
Our team had an overwhelming victory in the final game.
He enjoyed overwhelming support from his fans.
The jury said there was overwhelming proof that he was guilty.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"big majority"* when **"overwhelming majority"** is more natural for a very large difference. Also, avoid *"too much majority"*; use **overwhelming majority** or **large majority**.
Meaning
extremely large majority or advantage
Collocations
overwhelming majority
|overwhelming support
|overwhelming victory
|overwhelming evidence
|overwhelming odds
|overwhelming consensus
Synonyms
decisive (Stresses that the size of the majority or advantage clearly decides the outcome.)
|
massive (Informal; emphasizes size but not always the idea of leaving no doubt.)
Antonyms
narrow (Used for victories or majorities that are small and could easily have gone the other way.)
|
slight (Describes a very small amount of support or evidence, the opposite of overwhelming.)
Themes
politics
|law
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Definition
So large or strong compared with the other side that it almost decides the result by itself.
Very great in number, strength, or support compared with the opposite side, so that the result is almost certain.
Grammar
Dictionary form
overwhelming
IPA
GB/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ/
US/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
over - whelm - ing (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (whelm)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: overwhelming
Word family
Core family
overwhelm
verb B1
overwhelmingly
adverb B2
Related words
overwhelmed
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
underwhelm
verb
underwhelming
adjective
Expressions
overwhelming desire
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ dɪzˈaɪɚ/
fixed phrase
very strong desire
A feeling of wanting something so much that it is hard to stop or ignore.
Examples
- She felt an overwhelming desire to change her life.
- He had an overwhelming desire to protect his family.
overwhelming evidence
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ ˈɛvədəns/
fixed phrase
very strong, clear evidence
So much clear proof that almost no one can doubt it.
Examples
- There is overwhelming evidence that smoking damages your health.
- The court found him guilty on the basis of overwhelming evidence.
overwhelming majority
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ məd͡ʒˈɔɹəti/
fixed phrase
very large majority
A result where many more people choose one side than the other side or sides.
Examples
- The law was approved by an overwhelming majority of voters.
- An overwhelming majority of the staff supported the new schedule.
overwhelming odds
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ ˈɑdz/
fixed phrase
chances strongly against success
When the situation makes it very unlikely that you will win or succeed.
Examples
- They managed to win the game despite overwhelming odds.
- The team faced overwhelming odds but refused to give up.
overwhelming response
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ ɹɪspˈɑns/
fixed phrase
much bigger response than expected
When many more people answer, reply, or react than you thought they would.
Examples
- The charity received an overwhelming response to its online appeal.
- We had an overwhelming response to our job advertisement.
overwhelming success
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ səksˈɛs/
fixed phrase
very great success
A result that is much better and more successful than you hoped or expected.
Examples
- The festival was an overwhelming success, attracting thousands of visitors.
- Their new product turned out to be an overwhelming success.
overwhelming support
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ səpˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
very strong support
Support from a very large number of people, much more than those who are against it.
Examples
- The changes have overwhelming support among younger voters.
- Her campaign received overwhelming support from local businesses.
overwhelming victory
1/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlmɪŋ vˈɪktɚi/
fixed phrase
extremely one‑sided victory
A win where one side gets much more points or votes than the other side.
Examples
- The team claimed an overwhelming victory in the finals.
- The candidate won an overwhelming victory in the election.