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.

Synonym Usage

See defeat.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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”; see con-, query

Explanation

To conquer is to defeat someone or something, usually with force, like army troops that conquer enemy territory, or your lunchtime hunger which you conquer with a sandwich and cup of soup. To correctly pronounce conquer, accent the first syllable: "CON-kur." It comes from the Old French word conquerre, meaning "defeat, vanquish." Use conquer to show you've gained control over something, like doing breathing exercises as the airplane takes off to help you conquer your fear of flying. You'll hear people say they've conquered Mount McKinley, or the Appalachian Trail. It means they've hiked and climbed the whole route, not declared the place theirs alone.

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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.

Her development was partly thanks to the Conquer Chargers club in Irvine.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 17, 2025

They were even expected to participate in an event called Breakthrough and Conquer, where they had to tackle each other in a handsy game of football.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2023

South Wales Police said the body is believed to be his, and Supt Michelle Conquer added: "We continue to support Aled's family at this very sad time".

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2023

“My first legislative session was a bust,” she wrote in her 2009 book, “Unite and Conquer: How to Build Coalitions That Win and Last.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 18, 2022

The Cranes Conquer America was written at the top in Emily’s eight-year-old scrawl, back when she was into putting smiley faces inside her e’s, o’s, and o’s.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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