overcome
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overcomes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overcame,
past
-
overcome,
past participle
-
overcoming
present participle
-
to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conquer; defeat.
to overcome the enemy.
- Synonyms:
- vanquish
-
to prevail over (opposition, a debility, temptations, etc.); surmount.
to overcome one's weaknesses.
-
to overpower or overwhelm in body or mind, as does liquor, a drug, exertion, or emotion.
I was overcome with grief.
-
Archaic. to overspread or overrun.
verb (used without object)
-
overcomes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overcame,
past
-
overcome,
past participle
-
overcoming
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to get the better of in a conflict
-
(tr; often passive) to render incapable or powerless by laughter, sorrow, exhaustion, etc
he was overcome by fumes
-
(tr) to surmount (obstacles, objections, etc)
-
(intr) to be victorious
Synonym Usage
See defeat.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overcomesimple
-
overcomessimple
-
have overcomeperfect
-
has overcomeperfect
-
am overcomingprogressive
-
are overcomingprogressive
-
is overcomingprogressive
-
have been overcomingperfect progressive
-
has been overcomingperfect progressive
Past
-
overcamesimple
-
had overcomeperfect
-
was overcomingprogressive
-
were overcomingprogressive
-
had been overcomingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overcome
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ofercuman; see over-, come
Explanation
Use the verb overcome when you talk about someone who has triumphed over adversity. It's great to see a friend who's always struggled in school overcome his learning disabilities and make the honor roll. You can also be overcome with emotions, or overwhelmed by your feelings. Many people feel so overcome with sadness at a movie — or happiness at a wedding — that they regret not bringing a pile of tissues with them. The verb overcome also means to win or surpass. If you are going to win the marathon, you are going to have to overcome having five runners ahead of you.
Vocabulary lists containing overcome
List 1
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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"Hitching a Ride"
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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.
See Examples For:
"This study is an important step forward for the use of a vitamin D analog as a stromal remodeling therapy that can overcome therapeutic resistance in pancreatic," says Perez.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
They can be technically proficient, maybe even a little funny, but there is always an underlying cadence of the uncanny valley that I still doubt Suno v6 pro et al. or whatever has totally overcome.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Each lead role presents challenges that are gracefully overcome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
That suggests an opportunity for Apple to expand what has been a niche category—if it can overcome competition from Chinese brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
But for the first time, Doha felt a terrible rage overcome him.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
In fact, GPS also overcomes the challenge through time: A receiver uses the travel times of signals from several satellites, whose positions are known, to calculate its own position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
In that simple contest, the electromagnetic force produced by the magnet easily overcomes gravity.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Alek Thomas drives in a run during his Dodgers debut and Tarik Skubal overcomes a rocky first inning as the Dodgers extend their winning streak to five games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
This overcomes a key challenge facing Moore's Law that Intel sums up as: "You can make something smaller and smaller and smaller... until you can't".
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
A sudden stupidity overcomes me, and I feel awkward standing there on her driveway.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
But Mr. Craighead overcame all hurdles and joined the Junior Parachute Company at 16.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
He did not play when the Blues overcame German giants Bayern Munich on penalties to be crowned champions of Europe.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
José Ramírez drove in five runs with three doubles and the streaking Guardians overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Angels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
But after 54 hours of work and several timely pep talks, Claude overcame its skepticism—and its case of impostor syndrome— and surprised itself with the result.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Methuselah feigned indifference, but his natural curiosity soon overcame any chagrin he felt at not being allowed to pass the doorway.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Between recovering from her first heartbreak and overcoming burnout from her debut album “Queen of the Clouds,” the remote town has offered her a seaside refuge ever since childhood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
They’re the best team in the AL, overcoming their low payroll to emerge as a powerhouse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"Everyone has the feeling that their technical capabilities are growing in terms of autonomy, in terms of overcoming electronic warfare systems, and in terms of the distance at which they can fire."
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
By overcoming their pre-tournament concerns, Sabalenka and Rybakina have underlined their position as the two standout players on the WTA Tour.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
He proceeded to underline the historic significance of the occasion and discuss the need for overcoming mutual distrust.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
