overwhelm

verb
/ˌəʊ.vəˈwɛlm/UK/ˌo.vɚˈʍɛlm//ˌoʊ.vɚˈʍɛlm/US

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English overwhelmen, equivalent to over- + whelm.

  1. inherited from overwhelmen

Definitions

  1. To engulf, surge over and submerge.

    • The dinghy was overwhelmed by the great wave.
  2. To overpower, crush.

    • In December 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland with overwhelming force.
    • The sea overwhelmed their enemies.
  3. To overpower emotionally.

    • He was overwhelmed with guilt.
    • Joy overwhelmed her when she realized that she had won a million dollars.
  4. + 2 more definitions
    1. To cause to surround, to cover.

      • I lay Turpentine all over the same: then I overwhelm a broader pipe about the first
    2. The state or condition of being overwhelmed.

      • The fact is, that full permeation and understanding of an overwhelm or trauma makes it cease as an overwhelm or trauma.
      • And what you’re feeling is normal in a dangerous situation — overwhelm and guilt when someone is harmed.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at overwhelm. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01overwhelm02submerge03lake04drain05land06covered07overlaid08overlay

A definitional loop anchored at overwhelm. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at overwhelm

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA