overload

Transitive VerbIntransitive Verb[C/U] Both

pl: overloadspast: overloadedpp: overloadeding: overloading

This term carries a heavy sense of breaking points and systemic failure. It describes the precise moment when a capacity limit is exceeded, leading to a crash or a shutdown. In technical environments, it refers to physical or digital limits, such as voltage in a wire or data in a processor. In psychological contexts, it describes a state of mental paralysis. When a person is overloaded, they are not just busy, but are incapable of processing further input, creating a feeling of being frozen or overwhelmed by an unsustainable volume of demands.

Countable when referring to a specific instance of failure (an overload). Uncountable when referring to the general state of being burdened (too much overload).

Meanings

Transitive Verb

[someone][something]

To put too much of something on or into something else.

"The electrical circuit will overload if you plug in too many heaters."

Intransitive Verb

[something]

To become burdened with too much weight or data.

"The server tended to overload during the holiday sale."

Noun

[none]

An excessive amount of something that causes failure or stress.

"The sudden overload of information left the students confused."

Last Updated: May 31, 2026•Report an Error

overload

Meanings

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