Synonyms

conquer

American

[kong-ker] / ˈkɒŋ kər /

verb (used with object)

to acquire by force of arms; win in war.

to conquer a foreign land.
to overcome by force; subdue.

to conquer an enemy.

Synonyms:

subjugate , overthrow , overpower , vanquish
to gain, win, or obtain by effort, personal appeal, etc..

conquer the hearts of his audience.
to gain a victory over; surmount; master; overcome.

to conquer disease and poverty; to conquer one's fear.

verb (used without object)

to be victorious; make conquests; gain the victory.

Despite their differences, their love will conquer.

conquer British

/ ˈkɒŋkə /

verb

to overcome (an enemy, army, etc); defeat
to overcome (an obstacle, feeling, desire, etc); surmount
(tr) to gain possession or control of by or as if by force or war; win
(tr) to gain the love, sympathy, etc, of (someone) by seduction or force of personality

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conquer Idioms

see divide and conquer.

Related Words

See defeat.

Other Word Forms

conquerable adjective
conquerableness noun
conquering adjective
conqueringly adverb
conqueror noun
half-conquered adjective
preconquer verb (used with object)
reconquer verb (used with object)
unconquerable adjective
unconquered adjective

Etymology

Origin of conquer

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English conqueren, from Anglo-French conquerir, Old French conquerre, from Vulgar Latin conquērere (unrecorded) “to acquire,” from Latin conquīrere “to seek out”; con-, query

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With its advantages in manpower, firepower, misinformation operations and drones, Russia should have been able to conquer more land.

From The Wall Street Journal

A five-year-old girl has conquered Britain's highest mountain in challenging wintry conditions "to help raise pennies for the girls and boys who need help".

From BBC

In the video game world, conquering the “cheat code” means a player has figured out the secret password to stay alive.

From Los Angeles Times

Now there is a vast new territory to be conquered.

From The Wall Street Journal

For England, 16 men have the chance to match the greats that have conquered this country.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023