Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [hwelm, welm]
- /ʰwɛlm, wɛlm/
- /welm/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hwelm, welm]
- /ʰwɛlm, wɛlm/
Definitions of whelm word
- verb with object whelm to submerge; engulf. 1
- verb with object whelm to overcome utterly; overwhelm: whelmed by misfortune. 1
- verb without object whelm to roll or surge over something, as in becoming submerged. 1
- noun whelm Engulf, submerge, or bury (someone or something). 1
- verb whelm to engulf entirely with or as if with water 0
- verb transitive whelm to submerge, cover, or engulf 0
Information block about the term
Origin of whelm
First appearance:
before 1250 One of the 11% oldest English words
1250-1300; Middle English whelme, apparently blend of dial. whelve (Old English gehwelfan to bend over) and helm2 (v.) (Old English helmian to cover)
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Whelm
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
whelm popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 71% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
According to our data about 54% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
whelm usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for whelm
verb whelm
- douse — to plunge into water or the like; drench: She doused the clothes in soapy water.
- drench — to wet thoroughly; soak.
- engulf — (of a natural force ) sweep over (something) so as to surround or cover it completely.
- flood — a great flowing or overflowing of water, especially over land not usually submerged.
- overflow — to flow or run over, as rivers or water: After the thaw, the river overflows and causes great damage.
Antonyms for whelm
verb whelm
- dry — free from moisture or excess moisture; not moist; not wet: a dry towel; dry air.
- underwhelm — to fail to interest or astonish: After all the ballyhoo, most critics were underwhelmed by the movie.
- dehydrate — When something such as food is dehydrated, all the water is removed from it, often in order to preserve it.
- increase — to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality; augment; add to: to increase taxes.
- ascend — If you ascend a hill or staircase, you go up it.
Top questions with whelm
- what does whelm mean?