verb
overwhelm
oh-ver-WELM/ˌəʊvərˈwelm/
To overpower beyond the ability to cope or resist.
The flood of urgent requests overwhelms our small support team.
Etymology
Over- and whelmen first conveyed overturning, then complete submersion. That physical sense of being swamped became a figurative way to describe feelings or pressures too strong to cope with.
In context
I couldn't wear that outfit for a lot of different reasons but those colors are just too busy and too active too energetic that they would overwhelm me
More examples
- Grief overwhelmed her when she heard the news.
- The larger army threatens to overwhelm the town's defenders.
- The noise and flashing lights are overwhelming me.
Forms
overwhelm · overwhelms · overwhelmed · overwhelming
Similar words
- overpower
- Overpower emphasizes defeating someone through superior force or strength.
- inundate
- Inundate emphasizes burdening someone with excessive quantities of something.