overwhelmed etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: overwhelewen, from Old English: oferwealwian
• ofer: over
• wealwian: to roll, turn

Meaning:

To be burdened or overcome by something excessive, often referring to a feeling of being unable to cope or manage.

Origin:

The word "overwhelmed" originated in Old English as "oferwealwian," which literally meant "to roll over." It was initially used to describe physical situations, such as being crushed by a heavy object. Over time, it came to be applied figuratively to convey the feeling of being overwhelmed by emotions, thoughts, or responsibilities.

Examples of Usage:

• "Sarah was overwhelmed by the amount of work she had to finish."
• "The news of his passing overwhelmed me with sadness."
• "I feel overwhelmed when I think about all the things I have to do."
• "The sheer magnitude of the problem overwhelmed the government's response."

overwhelmed relate terms

• overwhelm

  Etymology From Middle English overhwhelmen from Old English oferhwelman from Proto Ge

• over

  Etymology The word over derives from the Middle English over which in turn stems fr

• whelm

  Etymology Old English whelmen to plunge or submerge Meaning To completely engu

• overwhelmed

  Etymology Middle English overwhelewen from Old English oferwealwian ofer over wealw

• deluge

  Etymology The word deluge derives from the Latin word diluvium which means flood

• submerge

  Etymology The word submerge is derived from the Latin verb submergere which means t

• fire

  Etymology The word fire comes from the Old English fīr which is ultimately derived

• rife

  Etymology The word rife comes from the Middle English word rife which in turn comes

• drown

  Etymology Middle English drounen dronen Old English drūnian Proto West Germanic d

• burden

  Etymology The word burden comes from the Old English word byrðen meaning load or

• steam roller

  Etymology The word steamroller is a compound of the words steam and roller Steam

• abet

  Etymology Abet Middle English from Old French abeter from abeter infinitive of abet