over·load
ˌō-vər-ˈlōd 
overloaded; overloading; overloads
: to load (something or someone) to excess: such as
a
: to put too large a load on or in (something)
overload a ship
overload a washing machine
Overloading the trailer poses a safety risk.
… a bad winter can so overload roofs with snow that their collapses become endemic.—
Henry Petroski
Henry Petroski
b
: to give too much of something to (someone or something) : to supply with an excess of something
overloading students with more information than they can retain
More than ever, the upper middle class is synonymous with the stressed-out class. Their bosses are overloading them with work …—Joseph Spiers
Joseph Spiers… have overloaded the market with too many strange designs and weird color combinations.—Mimi Valdés
Mimi Valdésa movie overloaded with special effects
a court system overloaded with criminal cases
c
: to cause too large a load in (something, such as an electrical circuit)
Too much current traveling through one circuit can cause an overload. The wires inside a wall can get too hot and start a fire. Using a special safety power strip can help prevent overloading a circuit.—Science
Science
over·load
ˈō-vər-ˌlōd
plural overloads
: an excessive load or amount of something
an overload of cargo
an overload of details
If your dog is suffering from an overload of stress, he will appear depressed, inactive, sluggish and unresponsive.—Daniel Seligman
Daniel SeligmanYou fight your superficiality, your shallowness, so as to try to come at people without unreal expectations, without an overload of bias or hope or arrogance …—Philip Roth
Philip RothIf you're a regular reader of blogs, … you've probably been frustrated from time to time by information overload: the blogosphere creates way too much material for any human being to comfortably digest.—Chris Taylor
Chris TaylorLarge department stores tend to bring on sensory overload [=overstimulation of the senses] …—Stephen O'Shea and Joan Harting
Stephen O'Shea and Joan HartingExamples of overload in a Sentence
Verb
try not to overload your backpack, or you could end up with back problems
Recent Examples on the Web
Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Pilots rely on the aircraft's operating manual to verify limits and avoid overloading.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Bill Hineline, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Think slender light fixtures, cabinet hardware, or minimalist stair rails with spindles that add contrast, not overload.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overload
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.
Verb
When Helene hit, North Carolina’s VIPER radio system — the statewide network first responders use to talk to each other — was quickly overloaded, forcing agencies to scramble onto backup VHF channels.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Pilots rely on the aircraft's operating manual to verify limits and avoid overloading.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
This overload wastes storage, overwhelms engineering teams, clutters observability tools and slows investigations when something actually goes wrong.
—Bill Hineline, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Think slender light fixtures, cabinet hardware, or minimalist stair rails with spindles that add contrast, not overload.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overload
Cite this Entry
“Overload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overload. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share