What's the difference between overpowering and overwhelming?

Overpowering


Definition:

  • (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Overpower
  • (a.) Excelling in power; too powerful; irresistible.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) This set was called by the authors a syndrome reflecting an overpowering, but latent, unconscious sense of crisis, of a catastrophe ("Catastrophe-syndrome").
  • (2) Preliminary murder charges have been lodged against two men – both students at Islamic religious schools, who were arrested at the scene after being overpowered by bystanders – and against a third assailant who fled and has yet to be found, an officer said.
  • (3) After seeing my status one man wrote to me that he wants to be positive but “feels overpowered by a nightmare existence”.
  • (4) Lung reflexes in the fibrotic rabbits were more profoundly changed than eupneic breathing in a way that could be interpreted as slowly adapting receptor activity, which was increased, being overpowered by a prepotent input from pulmonary rapidly adapting receptors.
  • (5) It was flattering, appropriate (despite inevitable "oo-er, heels at a sports event" comments in the media) and, crucially, the look was not overpowered by Obama's mustard cashmere cardigan – although she was as ebullient and as natural as we have come to expect.
  • (6) Old plastic supermarket bags clog the ground under the platform stilts and the smell of sewage is overpowering.
  • (7) Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) Eleanor Laing says she will stand up for backbenchers against overpowering governments of any political stripe #deputyspeakerhustings October 15, 2013 Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) Simon Burns says he standing for deputy speaker because he is fully qualified and would be "firm with a light touch" #deputyspeakerhustings October 15, 2013 Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) Simon Burns says it is an elephant in the room that he and the speaker are "not the greatest of personal friends" #hustings #dwarfgate October 15, 2013 Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) Simon burns says not behind twitter account in his name +wouldn't know how to "tweet I think it is called".
  • (8) ☞ Jimmy Cowan of Aston Villa overpowering the great Steve Bloomer in 1897!
  • (9) French authorities were questioning Khazani at their counter-terrorism headquarters outside Paris as remarkable details continued to emerge of how the heavily armed gunman was overpowered by passengers on the train in France .
  • (10) Cascades of golden light overpower the sun, rising from a jumble of massive titanium forms piled on top of each other, part train crash and part explosion in a bullion vault.
  • (11) There are, however, overpowering reasons to be cynical about these particular politicians making this pitch at this particular time.
  • (12) We could have overpowered the insurgents, but there was no[t] enough ammunition,” said one army officer who was present, speaking to Nigeria’s Premium Times , in an admission that symbolises everything that is wrong with Nigeria’s military-led counter-terrorism approach.
  • (13) Moreover, the other tactics used to gain children's compliance, such as overpowering them, suddenly grabbing their genitals, and attacking them in their sleep, appeared to seriously compromise children's autonomy and personal integrity.
  • (14) "Beware lest amidst men the flame of foolish ignorance overpowers you."
  • (15) Others, including the Liberal Democrats, who caution that marketisation must not overpower democratisation, might worry about hospitals being taken out of elected hands.
  • (16) It is the reason why we've been able to overpower the iron fist of fascism, outlast the iron curtain of communism, and enlist free nations and free people everywhere in common cause and common effort.
  • (17) There was such an overpowering reaction to the footage, you sort of feel like, ‘Oh, so we weren’t crazy for our reasons for loving this character, for loving this role’,” he told the Niagara Falls Review .
  • (18) Faith has played a very important role in our fight to end this virus, while our brothers and sisters have died and are still dying, while others are still being infected, while our freedom has been reduced, while we are suffering, starving, while many have been stigmatised and traumatised, many lost their livelihoods, even when fear overpowers us, we have hung on to our faith, because we are people of faith.
  • (19) Done correctly, with pace and precision, Dortmund’s game can overpower the best of teams, as Real Madrid and Bayern can testify from recent experiences.
  • (20) "The soldiers were overpowered after they arrived in the square.

Overwhelming


Definition:

  • (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Overwhelm
  • (a.) Overpowering; irresistible.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The following conclusions emerge: (i) when the 3' or the 3' penultimate base of the oligonucleotide mismatched an allele, no amplification product could be detected; (ii) when the mismatches were 3 and 4 bases from the 3' end of the primer, differential amplification was still observed, but only at certain concentrations of magnesium chloride; (iii) the mismatched allele can be detected in the presence of a 40-fold excess of the matched allele; (iv) primers as short as 13 nucleotides were effective; and (v) the specificity of the amplification could be overwhelmed by greatly increasing the concentration of target DNA.
  • (2) She added: “We will continue to act upon the overwhelming majority view of our shareholders.” The vote was the second year running Ryanair had suffered a rebellion on pay.
  • (3) T cells admixed in the germinal centers were overwhelmingly of the T-helper type.
  • (4) Unfortunately for the governor, he could win both states and still face the overwhelming likelihood of failure if he doesn't take Ohio, where the poll found Obama out front 51-43.
  • (5) In Britain, the European election is overwhelmingly seen through the prism of domestic politics.
  • (6) Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Asked if Watson should seek to refresh his mandate after Corbyn’s overwhelming victory among members, McCluskey added: “Well, if Tom wants to try to refresh his mandate it would be interesting to see what happens.” Watson said it was time “to be proud of our party”, because the Conservatives were beatable and the prime minister, Theresa May, could call an election any time.
  • (7) The government acknowledged it had been overwhelmed by the devastation from the deadliest quake in Nepal in over 80 years.
  • (8) He made me laugh and cry, and his courage in writing about what he was going through was sometimes quite overwhelming.
  • (9) Although alpha 1-antiprotease (alpha 1-AP) binds and inactivates NE and is the major antielastase of the lower respiratory tract, antielastase defenses may be overwhelmed in CF, leading to progressive lung damage.
  • (10) And HAP has shown that the key finding that debt slows growth was driven overwhelmingly by the exclusion of four years of data from New Zealand.
  • (11) Cathepsin D-like acid proteinase existed overwhelmingly in the mucosal layer and was hardly detected in the gastric juice.
  • (12) Hence, reaction of chemical carcinogen with nuclear DNA is possible only when the cell is overwhelmed leading to cell death, or following a temporary breach of the nuclear membrane control points, but the DNA damage in the latter is totally reparable.
  • (13) The facts are clear: the overwhelming majority of EU citizens in Britain are contributors, not freeloaders.” But that was not the official position of any of the parties involved, so it went mostly unsaid.
  • (14) Of 54 patients with poor-grade aneurysms, ventriculostomy was placed in 47 (87.0%) and yielded high ICP's in the overwhelming majority, with the mean ICP being 40.2 cm H2O.
  • (15) There is overwhelming evidence, today, that such factors are involved in the manifestation of acute as well as chronic, non-specific as well as well as specific inflammation.
  • (16) Mobile phone networks, overwhelmed by demand, were down for hours, with authorities advising people to use email or text messages instead.
  • (17) The immunity was enacted by an overwhelming bipartisan vote, with the support of leading Democrats including Barack Obama, who had promised - when seeking his party's nomination - to filibuster any bill that contained retroactive telecom immunity.
  • (18) There’s an overwhelming sadness among kids like that who have been kept there for a very long time.
  • (19) Panic attacks would overwhelm her periodically and she experienced regular “ scanxiety ” – the feelings of dread that grip patients before new tests.
  • (20) In the meantime, Malaysia Airlines’ overwhelming focus will be the same as it has been from the outset – to provide the families with a comprehensive support programme.

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