overwhelmed en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˌəʊvəˈwɛlmd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌoʊvɚˈʍɛlmd/ (General-American)
- /ˌoʊvɚˈwɛlmd/ (General-American)
- /ˌəʊvəˈʍɛlmd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
Etymology
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 Old English -ed Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Germanic *-ōdaz Old English -od Middle English -ed English -ed English overwhelmed From overwhelm + -ed.
Meanings
-
Emotionally overpowered.
She was overwhelmed with gratitude.
emotionally overwhelmed
completely overwhelmed
-
(often) Emotionally overpowered. ▸ Carrying a metaphorical burden greater than one can comfortably handle.
He felt overwhelmed by the workload.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more overwhelmed | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most overwhelmed | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |