overwhelming en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌəʊvəˈwɛlmɪŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˌoːʋaˈwɛlmɪŋ] (Caribbean)
- [ˌoʋəˈʋʱɛlmɪŋ] (India)
- /ˌəʊvəˈʍɛlmɪŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌoʊvɚˈʍɛlmɪŋ/ (Canada, General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˌoʊvɚˈwɛlmɪŋ/ (Canada, General-American)
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 Proto-Indo-European *-onts Proto-Germanic *-ndz Proto-West Germanic *-andī Old English -ende Middle English -ynge English -ing English overwhelming From overwhelm + -ing.
Meanings
-
Overpowering, staggering, or irresistibly strong.
God is an overwhelming responsibility.
1972, “Thick As A Brick”, Ian Anderson (lyrics), performed by Jethro Tull:The vote was taken at once, and it was agreed by an overwhelming majority that rats were comrades.
1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:“What makes a eugenicist is this overwhelming faith that everything in human nature is determined by your genes,” he says.
2018 October 16, John Blake, “When Americans tried to breed a better race: How a genetic fitness ‘crusade’ marches on”, in CNN:It is this stretch which provides what is perhaps the most staggering scenic prospect of all; the impression made on the mind by the overwhelming height of the Eiger, towering over the train, is almost impossible to describe.
1960 December, Voyageur, “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, in Trains Illustrated, page 754:
- Very great or intense.
- Extreme.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most overwhelming | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more overwhelming | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
overwhelmingness · superoverwhelming · overwhelmingly
Synonyms
Translations (51)
es abrumador (overpowering) · hu túlnyomó (overpowering) · vi đại (overpowering) · ro copleșitor (overpowering) · ru ошеломля́ющий (overpowering) · pt irresistivelmente forte (overpowering) · es agobiante (overpowering) · id kewalahan (overpowering) · ka დაუძლეველი (overpowering) · hu nyomasztó (overpowering) · ka გადამეტებული (overpowering) · es contundente (overpowering) · hu elsöprő (overpowering) · sv överväldigande (overpowering) · tr çok büyük (overpowering) · de überwältigend (overpowering) · ru подавля́ющий (overpowering) · it soverchiante (overpowering) · it straordinario (overpowering) · nb overveldende (overpowering) · tr kahir (overpowering) · nn overveldande (overpowering) · gl témero (overpowering) · ca aclaparador (overpowering) · gl asoballante (overpowering) · hu megterhelő (overpowering) · is feikilegur (overpowering) · pt avassalador (overpowering) · nl overweldigend (overpowering) · th ล้นหลาม (overpowering) · fr accablant (overpowering) · bg съкрушителен (overpowering) · eo superforta (overpowering) · tr ezici (overpowering) · bn গালিব (overpowering) · ka უძლეველი (overpowering) · pt exageradamente maior (overpowering) · pt esmagador (overpowering) · tr baskın (overpowering) · gl grumón (overpowering) · es arrollador (overpowering) · fi musertava (overpowering) · th ท่วมท้น (overpowering) · es apabullante (overpowering) · es avasallador (overpowering) · ro covârșitor (overpowering) · cmn 压倒性的 (overpowering) · it schiacciante (overpowering) · it incredibile (overpowering) · el συντριπτικός (overpowering) · ar غَالِب (overpowering)