whelmed

verb

past tense of whelm
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress the news so whelmed them that they were stunned into silence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whelmed As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. — Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025 As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. — Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025 Of all the underwhelming parts of this underwhelming finale of an underwhelming season, the final immunity challenge did not leave me whelmed. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelmed
  1. overwhelmed
  2. devastated
Verb
  • But the ownership group is overwhelmed by left-wing politics.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • Tipu’s kingdom finally fell in 1799, when British and allied forces overwhelmed his fortress at Seringapatam, a few hours’ drive from present-day Bangalore.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of overwhelmed
Verb
  • Earlier that day, Contreras had broken down in tears while talking about the deadly earthquakes that devastated his native Venezuela.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • Carr, who has spent decades documenting South Florida's Indigenous history, said the region's Native population had been devastated long before the American Revolution.
    — Hank Tester, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of devastated

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Cite this Entry

“Whelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelmed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on whelmed

Nglish: Translation of whelmed for Spanish Speakers

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