whelms

Buries under water

Whelm means to submerge or engulf completely, usually with water: The wave whelmed the small boat.

The word is rare on its own—overwhelm has almost entirely replaced it.

When whelm does appear, it's often literary or deliberately archaic.

Some use it humorously to describe a middle state between underwhelmed and overwhelmed: I'm neither impressed nor disappointed—just whelmed.

emotional

floods

Overflowing onto dry land

drowns · overcomes · overtakes · consumes · sweeps · buries · submerges · overpowers · crushes · suffocates

aquatic

submerges

Puts fully underwater

  • engulfsSwallows up completely
  • floodsOverflowing onto dry land
  • swampsWaterlogged forested wetlands

inundates · drowns · surges · waves · tides · currents · deluges · cascades · torrents · overflows

archaic

covers

Puts over, hides

shrouds · blankets · cloaks · mantles · veils · obscures · hides · conceals · smothers · wraps

Opposites
submersion/coverage

whelmsemerges

Comes into view

surfaces · uncovers · exposes · reveals · drains

force/intensity

whelmscaresses

Touches gently with love

brushes · skims · grazes · tickles · dabs

intensity of impact

whelmslaps

Complete track circuits

trickles · caresses · brushes · ripples · sprinkles

Family

overwhelm, overwhelmed, overwhelming, overwhelms, overwhelmingly, whelm, underwhelmed, underwhelming, whelmed

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Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G