Added 9 October 2026
overwhelm
/ˌəʊ.vəˈ(h)wɛlm/ verb
In Latin: obruō Wiktionary
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about overwhelm at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli.
- Charge someone with too many tasks.
-
Cover completely or make imperceptible.
I was drowned in work
Origin
Inherited from Middle English overwhelmen, equivalent to over- + whelm.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)