mid-15c., "completely submerged or swamped," past-participle adjective from overwhelm. Figurative use by 1520s. Related: Overwhelmedness.
Entries linking to overwhelmed
overwhelm v.
mid-14c., overwhelmen, "to turn upside down, overthrow, knock over," from over- + Middle English whelmen "to turn upside down" (see whelm). Meaning "to submerge completely" is early 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.