verb
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to give way in face of the overwhelming force (of) or desire (for)
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to be fatally overwhelmed (by disease, old age, etc); die (of)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of succumb
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin succumbere, from suc- suc- + -cumbere (derivative of cubāre “to lie down, recline”); cf. incumbent
Explanation
Use the verb succumb to say that someone yields to something they've tried to fight off, such as despair, temptation, disease or injury. If you succumb to cancer, it means you die of it. From this sentence you can see that this verb is usually followed by the preposition to. The Latin root is succumbere, from the prefix sub- "under" plus -cumbere "to lie down."
Vocabulary lists containing succumb
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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List 3
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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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.
He instructed his crew to tie him to the ship’s mast of his ship so that he could listen and yet not succumb.
From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026
What if they were something to which we could, if not entirely succumb, then at least give freer rein?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
It may seem like Lilly is the latest drugmaker to succumb to the pressure to use AI.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
Will you grab gold or succumb to brain freeze?
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
“He has seen all this, and thank God, he is not going to succumb to it.”
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
