overwhelmed
Drowning in demands
Overwhelmed describes being overcome by something too powerful to manage.
The original image is of a wave crashing over and submerging you.
Most often the word describes emotional states—flooded by work, grief, or demands that exceed your capacity to cope: I'm completely overwhelmed with everything going on.
Someone can also be overwhelmed by positive feelings: overwhelmed with gratitude.
The word implies temporary defeat or paralysis in the face of excess.
Covered with water
- delugedOverwhelmed by abundance
- swampedOverwhelmed beyond capacity
- engulfedCompletely swallowed up
- bombardedAttacked with heavy fire
barraged · besieged · overrun · avalanched · buried · drowning · awash · saturated
Carrying more than manageable
- overloadedBurdened past capacity
- ladenHeavily weighted down
- encumberedMade difficult to move
- saddledBurdened or mounted
taxed · strapped · swamped · hampered · impeded · pressured · maxed-out · overcommitted
Prevail against difficulty
- movedChanged location or felt
- touchedAffected emotionally or physically
- tearfulProne to weeping
- speechlessUnable to talk
awestruck · stunned · floored · verklempt · undone · shaken · reeling · struck
Emptied of resources
- spentExhausted or disbursed
- worn-outDepleted through overuse
- fatiguedDrained of energy
- depletedSeverely reduced or emptied
sapped · frazzled · knackered · shattered · fried · wrung-out · gutted · zonked
Troubled by uncertainty
- panickedOverwhelmed by sudden fear
- franticWildly anxious or desperate
- distressedSuffering emotional turmoil
- agitatedEmotionally disturbed, restless
overwrought · rattled · unnerved · flustered · frazzled · on-edge · spiraling · hyperventilating
Defeated completely
- conqueredDefeated and took control
- overpoweredExcessively dominant or conquered
- crushedCompressed into fragments
- beatenHaving lost a contest
routed · trounced · subdued · outmatched · overthrown · subjugated · annihilated · decimated
flooded
Covered with water
bombarded · barraged · besieged · overrun · avalanched · buried · drowning · awash · saturated · overflowing
overburdened
Carrying more than manageable
- overloadedBurdened past capacity
- ladenHeavily weighted down
- encumberedMade difficult to move
saddled · taxed · strapped · swamped · hampered · impeded · pressured · maxed-out · overcommitted · overtaxed
overcome
Prevail against difficulty
speechless · awestruck · stunned · floored · verklempt · undone · shaken · reeling · struck · thunderstruck
drained
Emptied of resources
depleted · sapped · frazzled · knackered · shattered · fried · wrung-out · gutted · zonked
anxious
Troubled by uncertainty
- panickedOverwhelmed by sudden fear
- franticWildly anxious or desperate
- distressedSuffering emotional turmoil
agitated · overwrought · rattled · unnerved · flustered · frazzled · on-edge · spiraling · hyperventilating
vanquished
Defeated completely
- conqueredDefeated and took control
- overpoweredExcessively dominant or conquered
- crushedCompressed into fragments
beaten · routed · trounced · subdued · outmatched · overthrown · subjugated · annihilated · decimated · outgunned
- Anxietyanxiety, nervousness, panic, worry, generalized anxiety
- astonishmentamazement, awe, wonder, wonderstruck, awestruck
- At My Limitfed up, had it, last straw, breaking point, done
- burnoutburned out, burnt out, burn out, burning out, burnout
- demolishedbeaten, defeated, crushed, destroyed, demolished
- overloadoverload, excess, surplus, maxed out, glut
overwhelmedcomposed
Calm and self-possessed
calm · collected · unflappable · unruffled · serene
overwhelmedunderwhelmed
Feeling letdown by something
in control · unburdened · unfazed · coping · managing
overwhelmedvictorious
Having achieved triumph
triumphant · dominant · prevailing · conquering · overpowering