Synonyms for overwhelm
ˌoʊ vərˈʰwɛlm, -ˈwɛlmover·whelm

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.5 / 4 votes

1. overwhelm

   Hide is the general term, including all the rest, signifying to put out of sight or beyond ready observation or approach; a thing may be hidden by intention, by accident, or by the imperfection of the faculties of the one from whom it is hidden; in their games, children hide the slipper, or hide themselves from each other; a man unconsciously hides a picture from another by standing before it, or hides a thing from himself by laying something else over it. Even an unconscious object may hide another; as, a cloud hides the sun, or a building hides some part of the prospect by intervening between it and the observer's position. As an act of persons, to conceal is always intentional; one may hide his face in anger, grief, or abstraction; he conceals his face when he fears recognition. A house is hidden by foliage; the bird's nest is artfully concealed. Secrete is a stronger word than conceal, and is used chiefly of such material objects as may be separated from the person, or from their ordinary surroundings, and put in unlooked-for places; a man conceals a scar on his face, but does not secrete it; a thief secretes stolen goods; an officer may also be said to secrete himself to watch the thief. A thing is covered by putting something over or around it, whether by accident or design; it is screened by putting something before it, always with some purpose of protection from observation, inconvenience, attack, censure, etc. In the figurative use, a person may hide honorable feelings; he conceals an evil or hostile intent. Anything which is effectually covered and hidden under any mass or accumulation is buried. Money is buried in the ground; a body is buried in the sea; a paper is buried under other documents. Whatever is buried is hidden or concealed; but there are many ways of hiding or concealing a thing without burying it. So a person may be covered with wraps, and not buried under them. Bury may be used of any object, entomb and inter only of a dead body. Figuratively, one may be said to be buried in business, in study, etc. Compare IMMERSE; PALLIATE.

   Synonyms:
   bury, cloak, conceal, cover, disguise, dissemble, entomb, hide, inter, mask, screen, secrete, suppress, veil

   Antonyms:
   admit, advertise, avow, betray, confess, disclose, discover, disinter, divulge, exhibit, exhume, expose, lay bare, lay open, make known, reveal, manifest, promulgate, publish, raise, show, tell, uncover, unmask, unveil

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 7 votes

1. overwhelm

   Synonyms:
   crush, quell, extinguish, drown, subdue, swamp

   Antonyms:
   raise, reinvigorate, reinstate, re-establish, rescue, extricate

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. overwhelm, overpower, sweep over, whelm, overcome, overtakeverb

   overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli

   Synonyms:
   surmount, catch up with, submerge, deluge, overmaster, overhaul, drown, overcome, get the best, catch, overpower, whelm, defeat, pass, get the better of, master, flood out, sweep over, have the best, overtake, get over, subdue

2. overwhelm, deluge, flood outverb

   charge someone with too many tasks

   Synonyms:
   overcome, drown, flood out, overpower, swamp, inundate, deluge, sweep over, overmaster, whelm, flood, overtake, submerge

3. submerge, drown, overwhelmverb

   cover completely or make imperceptible

   "I was drowned in work"; "The noise drowned out her speech"

   Synonyms:
   sweep over, overcome, flood out, submerge, overtake, inundate, deluge, overpower, overmaster, whelm, swim, drown, submerse

4. overpower, overmaster, overwhelmverb

   overcome by superior force

   Synonyms:
   overcome, drown, flood out, overpower, deluge, sweep over, overmaster, whelm, overtake, submerge

Matched Categories

1. • Arouse
   • Beat
   • Charge
   • Cover

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bum rush

   to push into with force and determination. to go straight into a place with strength and numbers, through any obstacles. to go in hard.

   yo, bum rush the show.

   Submitted by empirekh on March 27, 2021  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. overwhelmverb

   Synonyms:
   overflow, spread over and cover

2. overwhelmverb

   Synonyms:
   subdue, vanquish, conquer, defeat, overpower, OVERTHROW

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. overwhelmverb

   Synonyms:
   overflow, submerge, ingulf, drown, overpower, crush

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:2.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "overwhelm":

   saturate, submerge, crush, annihilate

How to pronounce overwhelm?

How to say overwhelm in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use overwhelm in a sentence?

1. Angie Asche:

   In large amounts, alcohol can overwhelm the gut, promoting intestinal inflammation and increasing harmful bacteria … (which) can lead to a wide range of health problems.

2. Andrew Cuomo:

   We can't open an attraction that might bring many people from outside the region and then overwhelm people in that region, you have a lot of pent-up demand. We have seen this before, where -- when we're not coordinated -- we have New York people going to Connecticut because Connecticut has parks or water slide access that's open.

3. Antonio Gramsci:

   Socialism is precisely the religion that must overwhelm Christianity. … In the new order, Socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches and the media by transforming the consciousness of society.

4. Scott Schieman:

   There are plenty of chronic strains and low-grade challenges that don't necessarily overwhelm you in the moment, but almost take more of a toll in the long run.

5. Sarah Clark:

   We may see peaks of flu and COVID-19 at the same time, which could overwhelm the health care system, strain testing capacity and potentially reduce our ability to catch and treat both respiratory illnesses effectively.