so strong as to be irresistible; "an overpowering need for solitude"; "the temptation to despair may become overwhelming"; "an overwhelming majority"
If something is overwhelming, it affects you very strongly, and you do not know how to deal with it. The task won't feel so overwhelming if you break it down into small, easy-to-accomplish steps She felt an overwhelming desire to have another child. = overpowering + overwhelmingly over·whelm·ing·ly the overwhelmingly strange medieval city of Fès
emphasis You can use overwhelming to emphasize that an amount or quantity is much greater than other amounts or quantities. The overwhelming majority of small businesses go broke within the first twenty-four months The vote was overwhelming -- 283 in favour, and only twenty-nine against. + overwhelmingly over·whelm·ing·ly The House of Commons has overwhelmingly rejected calls to bring back the death penalty for murder