overwhelm
gb/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/ us/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/
B1
Inglês
~ 5800
Aceções
0 aceções
Verbo
B1
action
1
to strongly affect with emotion
To make someone feel so much emotion that it is difficult for them to think or speak.
Padrão de uso:
to overwhelm [someone] (with/by [something])
Erro comum:
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"*.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocações
feel overwhelmed
|be overwhelmed by emotion
|be overwhelmed with joy
|be overwhelmed by the news
|overwhelm someone with gratitude
|overwhelmed by sadness
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers after the accident.
- When he finally received the award, he was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn’t speak.
- I was completely overwhelmed by her generosity and support.
- The parents were overwhelmed by joy when they saw their baby for the first time.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He felt overwhelmed by the bad news.
- I was overwhelmed with happiness when I passed the exam.
- She was overwhelmed by her friend’s help.
- They were overwhelmed by feelings of loss.
Verbo
B1
action
2
to overload with work or tasks
To give someone or something too much work, information, or problems to deal with.
Padrão de uso:
to overwhelm [someone/something] with [things/tasks]
Erro comum:
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"*.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
relieve (To take away some work, stress, or duty.)
|
lighten (To make the amount of work or pressure smaller or easier.)
Colocações
overwhelmed with work
|overwhelm the staff
|overwhelmed by emails
|overwhelm the system
|overwhelm the hospital
|overwhelm someone with requests
Temas
work
|business
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- The small team was quickly overwhelmed with customer complaints after the product launch.
- Hospitals were overwhelmed by the sudden rise in flu cases.
- Our support inbox is overwhelmed with emails, so replies may be delayed.
- The website’s servers were overwhelmed with traffic and crashed within minutes.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- I am overwhelmed with homework this week.
- The workers were overwhelmed by the extra jobs.
- The call center was overwhelmed with phone calls.
- The teacher did not want to overwhelm the students with too much information.
Verbo
B2
action
3
to defeat completely or overpower
To win against someone very easily because you are much stronger or have many more people.
Padrão de uso:
to overwhelm [an enemy/opponent/defense]
Erro comum:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
withstand (To resist successfully and not be defeated or broken.)
|
repel (To successfully push back or fight off an attack.)
Colocações
overwhelm the enemy
|overwhelm the opposition
|overwhelm the defense
|overwhelm their rivals
|forces overwhelmed the city
|overwhelmed in a landslide victory
Temas
conflict
|sports
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- The home team overwhelmed their opponents, winning 5–0.
- Government forces quickly overwhelmed the rebels and took back the capital.
- Our argument was overwhelmed by a flood of new evidence against us.
- The smaller company was overwhelmed by a powerful competitor in the market.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Our team overwhelmed the other side in the final game.
- The army overwhelmed the enemy in two days.
- The stronger players quickly overwhelmed the weak defense.
- The big company overwhelmed the small local shop.
Verbo
B2
action
4
to cover or submerge completely
To cover something fully with water or another thing so that it cannot work or be seen normally.
Padrão de uso:
to overwhelm [a place/structure] (with/by [substance])
Erro comum:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
protect (To keep something safe from being covered or destroyed.)
|
drain (To remove water so that something is no longer covered by it.)
Colocações
overwhelm the coast
|overwhelm the defenses
|overwhelmed by floodwaters
|storm overwhelmed the levees
|sewage system was overwhelmed
|waves overwhelmed the boat
Temas
nature
|disasters
|science
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Huge waves overwhelmed the small fishing boat during the storm.
- Floodwaters overwhelmed the riverbanks and poured into nearby homes.
- The city’s drainage system was overwhelmed by the heavy rain.
- The sea wall was overwhelmed, and the village had to be evacuated.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The strong waves overwhelmed the little boat.
- Heavy rain overwhelmed the old bridge.
- Water overwhelmed the street after the storm.
- The river overwhelmed the low walls and entered the town.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
overwhelm
IPA
GB/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/
US/ˌoʊvɚwˈɛlm/
Sílabas e acento
over - whelm (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (whelm)
Formas da palavra
Verb
- Base: overwhelm
- 3rd Person Singular: overwhelms
- Present Participle: overwhelming
- Past: overwhelmed
Família de palavras
Forms
Core family
overwhelmingly
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
underwhelm
verb
underwhelming
adjective
underwhelmed
adjective
Expressões
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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.