Find the synonyms or antonyms of a word



Antonyms for overwhelms


Grammar : Verb
Spell : oh-ver-hwelm, -welm
Phonetic Transcription : ˌoʊ vərˈʰwɛlm, -ˈwɛlm



Definition of overwhelms

Origin :
  • early 14c., "to turn upside down, to overthrow," from over- + Middle English whelmen "to turn upside down" (see whelm). Meaning "to submerge completely" is mid-15c. Perhaps the connecting notion is a boat, etc., washed over, and overset, by a big wave. Figurative sense of "to bring to ruin" is attested from 1520s. Related: Overwhelmed; overwhelming; overwhelmingly.
  • verb flood, beat physically
  • verb astonish, devastate
Example sentences :
  • Like a sentinel on that solitary plain it overwhelms me with a sense of mystery.
  • Extract from : « Ballads of a Bohemian » by Robert W. Service
  • And in an ecstasy he overwhelms me again with suffusing sobs and embraces.
  • Extract from : « The Book of Khalid » by Ameen Rihani
  • Only there is my own choler, which overwhelms me; I fret that I cannot live for a moment happy.
  • Extract from : « His Masterpiece » by Emile Zola
  • The Parrot-house only overwhelms when the birds begin to sing.
  • Extract from : « Lotus Buds » by Amy Carmichael
  • When the news of her father's remand reaches Maria, it overwhelms her with grief.
  • Extract from : « An Outcast » by F. Colburn Adams
  • There is in Versailles a family which overwhelms me with marks of their friendship.
  • Extract from : « Memoirs of the Comtesse du Barry » by Etienne Leon Lamothe-Langon
  • That is the thing that overwhelms me at times—the awful suffering every way one turns.
  • Extract from : « 'My Beloved Poilus' » by Anonymous
  • She overwhelms Mrs Housman with her gush and her pretended silliness.
  • Extract from : « Passing By » by Maurice Baring
  • Wild with grief she overwhelms Gunther with violent accusations.
  • Extract from : « The Complete Opera Book » by Gustav Kobb
  • But it is the courage of the noble creature that overwhelms me.
  • Extract from : « The Admiral » by Douglas Sladen

Synonyms for overwhelms

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019