whelm


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Related to whelm: compensate, hearken

whelm

 (wĕlm, hwĕlm)
tr.v. whelmed, whelm·ing, whelms Archaic
1. To cover with water; submerge.
2. To overwhelm.

[Middle English whelmen, to overturn, probably alteration (influenced by helmen, to cover) of whelven, from Old English -hwelfan (as in āhwelfan, to cover over).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

whelm

(wɛlm)
vb (tr)
1. to engulf entirely with or as if with water
2. another word for overwhelm
[C13: whelmen to turn over, of uncertain origin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

whelm

(ʰwɛlm, wɛlm)

v.t.
1. to submerge; engulf.
2. to overcome utterly; overwhelm: whelmed by misfortune.
v.i.
3. to roll or surge over something, as in causing it to submerge.
[1250–1300; Middle English whelme, appar. b. dial. whelve (Old English gehwelfan to bend over) and helm2 (v.) (Old English helmian to cover)]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

whelm


Past participle: whelmed
Gerund: whelming

Imperative
whelm
whelm
Present
I whelm
you whelm
he/she/it whelms
we whelm
you whelm
they whelm
Preterite
I whelmed
you whelmed
he/she/it whelmed
we whelmed
you whelmed
they whelmed
Present Continuous
I am whelming
you are whelming
he/she/it is whelming
we are whelming
you are whelming
they are whelming
Present Perfect
I have whelmed
you have whelmed
he/she/it has whelmed
we have whelmed
you have whelmed
they have whelmed
Past Continuous
I was whelming
you were whelming
he/she/it was whelming
we were whelming
you were whelming
they were whelming
Past Perfect
I had whelmed
you had whelmed
he/she/it had whelmed
we had whelmed
you had whelmed
they had whelmed
Future
I will whelm
you will whelm
he/she/it will whelm
we will whelm
you will whelm
they will whelm
Future Perfect
I will have whelmed
you will have whelmed
he/she/it will have whelmed
we will have whelmed
you will have whelmed
they will have whelmed
Future Continuous
I will be whelming
you will be whelming
he/she/it will be whelming
we will be whelming
you will be whelming
they will be whelming
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been whelming
you have been whelming
he/she/it has been whelming
we have been whelming
you have been whelming
they have been whelming
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been whelming
you will have been whelming
he/she/it will have been whelming
we will have been whelming
you will have been whelming
they will have been whelming
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been whelming
you had been whelming
he/she/it had been whelming
we had been whelming
you had been whelming
they had been whelming
Conditional
I would whelm
you would whelm
he/she/it would whelm
we would whelm
you would whelm
they would whelm
Past Conditional
I would have whelmed
you would have whelmed
he/she/it would have whelmed
we would have whelmed
you would have whelmed
they would have whelmed
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.whelm - overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
devastate - overwhelm or overpower; "He was devastated by his grief when his son died"
clutch, get hold of, seize - affect; "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unbearable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease"
arouse, elicit, evoke, provoke, enkindle, kindle, fire, raise - call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses); "arouse pity"; "raise a smile"; "evoke sympathy"
kill - overwhelm with hilarity, pleasure, or admiration; "The comedian was so funny, he was killing me!"
benight - overtake with darkness or night
knock out - overwhelm with admiration; "All the guys were knocked out by her charm"
stagger - astound or overwhelm, as with shock; "She was staggered with bills after she tried to rebuild her house following the earthquake"
lock - hold fast (in a certain state); "He was locked in a laughing fit"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

whelm

verb
1. To flow over completely:
2. To affect as if by an outpouring of water:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
References in classic literature ?
The envious billows sidelong swell to whelm my track; let them; but first I pass.
Before the guns on the Richmond and Kingston line of hills began, there was a fitful cannonade far away in the southwest, due, I believe, to guns being fired haphazard before the black vapour could over- whelm the gunners.
The other or eastern end of the isle was whelmed in the blackest shade.
And again and again she made the circuit of the island, (while the sun rushed down to his slumbers), and at each issuing into the light there was more sorrow about her person, while it grew feebler and far fainter and more indistinct, and at each passage into the gloom there fell from her a darker shade, which became whelmed in a shadow more black.
He drew no film across his one eye that showed his head cocked sideways, nor did the passion of apprehension that whelmed him manifest itself in the quiver of a single feather.
Such evils, issuing from the double source, Have whelmed them both, confounding man and wife.
He and some of his fellows who had donned blue were quite over- whelmed with privileges for all of one afternoon, and it had been a very delicious thing.
I was likewise whelmed with the guilt of an accomplice.
Each rolling mountain whelmed them from view, and I would wait with sickening anxiety, fearing that they would never appear again.
OEDIPUS Flood on flood Whelms me; that word's a second mortal blow.
How can I, whelmed by a flux of talk, meditate upon the Way?'
NONAGRAM: anew; awhile; hewn; lawn; MEANWHILE; mewl; newel; wahine; wail; wain; wale; wane; weal; wean; ween; whale; wham; whee; wheel; wheelman; whelm; when; while; whim; whin; whine; wile; wine.