succumb

American

[suh-kuhm] / səˈkʌm /

verb (used without object)

to give way to superior force; yield.

to succumb to despair.

Synonyms:

surrender, accede, submit
to yield to disease, wounds, old age, etc.; die.

succumb British

/ səˈkʌm /

verb

to give way in face of the overwhelming force (of) or desire (for)
to be fatally overwhelmed (by disease, old age, etc); die (of)

"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

Other Word Forms

succumber noun
unsuccumbing adjective

Etymology

Origin of succumb

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin succumbere, from suc- suc- + -cumbere (derivative of cubāre “to lie down, recline”); incumbent

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.

The siblings, who succumbed to smoke inhalation, were found in the living room about seven feet apart.

From Los Angeles Times

There was Kent Brantly, 27, a family physician who, owing to the grueling hours and oppressive African heat, had lost 30 pounds even before he succumbed to hemorrhagic fevers.

From The Wall Street Journal

He kept the diagnosis secret from everyone but Strickland, eventually succumbing to the disease in October 1985.

From BBC

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack on Tuesday, saying that "Nigeria will not succumb to fear".

From BBC

Goldin witnessed these protests firsthand coming up in the New York art scene, watching countless loved ones succumb to a disease that the government refused to address.

From Salon

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