Overpowering

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exuding an intense force that can subdue or dominate others significantly
2. Displaying an overwhelming presence that can overshadow various emotions or stimuli
3. Extremely forceful or intense, capable of eclipsing other sensations or influences ; exerting such strong control or influence that others are unable to resist or oppose

Etymology: "Overpowering" is the form of "overpower" used as an adjective, and it is built from two English parts: "over-", from Old English "ofer", meaning above or across, and "power". The second element traces back through Anglo-Norman "poer" and Old French "pooir" to Vulgar Latin "potēre", which replaced the classical Latin "posse", meaning to be able. So at its core, the word is about being able to do something, pushed above and beyond everyone else. The prefix has a long pedigree of its own. Its ancestor reaches back to a Proto-Germanic root "uber", which also gave German "über", so English "over-" and German "über-" are cousins. Many English verbs were formed this way, stacking "over-" onto an existing word to mean "too much" or "above" (overcook, overrule, overwhelm), and "overpower" follows the same pattern. The present-participle form describes something that is currently exerting this force. An overpowering smell, for example, is one strong enough to take over the senses entirely.

Synonyms: overwhelming, intense, dominant, crushing, stifling

Antonyms: underwhelming, weak, subdued, light, gentle