Comes from Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; to invert, turn upside down”), perhaps from Old English *hwealmnian, a variant of *hwealfnian, from hwealf (“arched, concave, vaulted; an arched or vaulted ceiling”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwalb, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbą (“arch, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve”). It is cognate with Dutch welven (“to arch”), Old Saxon bihwelvian (“to cover, hide”), German wölben (“to bend, curve, arch”), Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn”), German Walm (“a vaulted roof”), Icelandic hvolf (“vaulted ceiling”), and Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf”). The noun comes from the verb.

Synonyms

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overpower overcome overwhelm overtake

Related words

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Rhymes for whelm

elm helm

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of whelm?

"whelm" (verb) means to cover something completely, burying or submerging it.

What is another word for whelm?

Other words for "whelm" include overpower, overcome, overwhelm, overtake.

What are the different meanings of whelm?

"whelm" has 3 main meanings: 1. To cover something completely, burying or submerging it; 2. To turn something over and drop it onto an object to cover it; 3. To wreck or destroy something completely.

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