overwhelm
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overwhelm
- /ˌəʊ.vəˈ(h)wɛlm/ UK
- /ˌoʊ.vɚˈ(h)wɛlm/ Canada, US
- /ˌo.və(ɹ)ˈhwɛlm/ Scotland
- /ˌoː.vaˈwɛlm/ Caribbean
- /ˌo.ʋəˈʋʱɛlm/ India
Rhymes with -ɛlm
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *úp
Proto-Indo-European *-er
Proto-Indo-European *upér
Proto-Germanic *uber
Old English ofer-
Middle English over-
Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp-der.
Proto-Germanic *kʷolpós
Proto-Germanic *hwalbazder.?
Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp-der.
Proto-Germanic *kʷólpo-
Proto-Germanic *hwalbąder.?
Old English hwealf
Old English *hwealfnian
Old English *hwealmnian?
Middle English whelmen
Middle English overwhelmen
English overwhelm
Inherited from Middle English overwhelmen, equivalent to over- + whelm.
verb overwhelms · overwhelming · overwhelmed · o'erwhelm
- To engulf, surge over and submerge. The dinghy was overwhelmed by the great wave.
- To overpower, crush. In December 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland with overwhelming force.
- To overpower emotionally. He was overwhelmed with guilt.
- To cause to surround, to cover. I lay Turpentine all over the same: then I overwhelm a broader pipe about the first
noun overwhelms · o'erwhelm
- The state or condition of being overwhelmed. If you beat your opponent by a margin of 5 or more, you have Overwhelmingly Succeeded. This type of success is often simply called an Overwhelm. […] An overwhelm means you've not only succeeded, but you've done something better than the average success would be.
