Meaning & use

overwhelming

adjective·Academic

So great in force, quantity, or intensity that it is difficult to resist or cope with.

See it in a sentence

The support from strangers after the fire was overwhelming and deeply moving.

She felt an overwhelming urge to laugh at the worst possible moment.

A note on using this word

Overwhelming can describe both positive experiences, like overwhelming generosity, and negative ones, like overwhelming stress.

Words with a similar meaning

intenseoverpoweringstaggering

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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