overwhelming

adjective
UK: /ˌəʊvəˈwelmɪŋ/
US: /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/

  1. Very strong or difficult to deal with; so great as to make one feel helpless.

    1. The amount of homework was overwhelming.
    2. The sheer scale of the disaster is overwhelming the rescue teams already.

  2. Having such a strong effect on you that you feel confused and unable to react.

    1. Her grief was so overwhelming.
    2. The evidence against him was overwhelming, leaving no room for doubt at all.

  3. Very large or greater, more important, or better than others.

    1. She won by an overwhelming majority.
    2. The overwhelming response to the charity appeal was heartwarming for everyone.

Synonyms

devastating powerful irresistible staggering
overwhelming adverb

  1. In an irresistible or overpowering manner.

    1. She felt overwhelmingly sad.
    2. He was overwhelmingly grateful for all the support he had received recently.
overwhelming transitive-verb

  1. To defeat someone or something by using a lot of force.

    1. The army overwhelmed the enemy.
    2. Rebels overwhelmed government forces, seizing control of the capital eventually.

  2. To cause someone to feel strong emotions.

    1. The beauty of the scenery overwhelmed her.
    2. I was overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia when I saw my childhood home again.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "overwhelming" in English means: Very strong or difficult to deal with; so great as to make one feel helpless., Having such a strong effect on you that you feel confused and unable to react., Very large or greater, more important, or better than others..

The phonetic transcription of "overwhelming" is /ˌəʊvəˈwelmɪŋ/ in British English and /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "overwhelming": devastating, powerful, irresistible, staggering.

Example usage of "overwhelming": "The amount of homework was overwhelming.". More examples on the page.