overwhelm
/ˌoʊ.vɚˈ(h)wɛlm/verb, noun
overwhelm is spelled O-V-E-R-W-H-E-L-M: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,835th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, overwhelm means “To engulf, surge over and submerge” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in overwhelm?
| Letters | 9: O-V-E-R-W-H-E-L-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words; the 23,835th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is overwhelm?
Overwhelm appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,835th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce overwhelm?
- UK /ˌəʊ.vəˈ(h)wɛlm/
- US /ˌoʊ.vɚˈ(h)wɛlm/
- /ˌo.və(ɹ)ˈhwɛlm/
Overwhelm has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-overwhelm.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with overwhelm?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as overwhelm from its last stressed vowel (/ɛlm/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of overwhelm
- overwhelms present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- overwhelming participle, present
- overwhelmed participle, past
- o'erwhelm
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does overwhelm mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To engulf, surge over and submerge.
The dinghy was overwhelmed by the great wave.
- 2
To overpower, crush.
In December 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland with overwhelming force.
- 3
To overpower emotionally.
He was overwhelmed with guilt.
- 4
To cause to surround, to cover.
noun
- 1
The state or condition of being overwhelmed.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Overwhelm in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | abreuver , accabler, envahir |
| Portuguese | engolir , dominar, esmagar, avassalar |
| German | überwältigen, übermannen |
| Spanish | apabullar, arrollar , agobiar, abrumar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does overwhelm come from?
Inherited from Middle English overwhelmen, equivalent to over- + whelm.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).