agobiado
/aɡobjado/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'overwhelmed' is translated into Spanish as agobiado.
Agobiado is used to describe the feeling of being stressed or anxious because you have too many things to deal with at once. It focuses specifically on the sensation of being weighed down or stressed by pressure.
Which one should you use?
While agobiado focuses on the feeling of being weighed down by pressure or stress, the word abrumado is a more direct translation of 'overwhelmed' that is often used when describing emotional or sensory overload.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, agobiado must agree with the gender and number of the person feeling the emotion: use agobiada for a woman, agobiados for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and agobiadas for a group of women. To express this state, you should use the verb estar (to be) rather than ser (to be), as it describes a temporary state.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɡobjado/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, if a room is too hot or lacks ventilation, you might say Me agobia este calor, meaning the heat is becoming stifling or oppressive.
- The word agobiado comes from the verb agobiar, which originally meant to bend or bow down under a heavy weight.
- Spanish has a related verb agobiar that can be used transitively to describe the act of annoying or pestering someone until they feel stressed.
Examples in context
- Estoy agobiado con tanta tarea.I'm overwhelmed with this much work.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are overwhelmed by a high volume of work.Tatoeba #1140410 by marcelostockle, translation #1140413 by marcelostockle
- Me siento agobiado por el ruido.I feel overwhelmed by the noise.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their busy week at the office.
- AlejandroEstoy muy agobiado con este proyecto.I am very overwhelmed with this project.
- ElenaLo siento, Alejandro, ¿puedo ayudarte?I'm sorry, Alejandro, can I help you?
- AlejandroNo te preocupes, Elena, pero gracias.Don't worry, Elena, but thanks.
- ElenaAvísame si necesitas algo más tarde.Let me know if you need anything later.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agobiado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
