overwhelm

US /ˌoʊvərˈwelm/

UK /ˌəʊvəˈwelm/

B1

verb

  • To defeat something or someone completely
  • To affect someone emotionally in a strong way
  • To cause to have too much to handle (e.g. work)

Examples

Deal with stress fast whenever it threatens to overwhelm you.

We were totally overwhelmed by the response to our appeal. She felt completely overwhelmed.