Synonyms

prevail

American

[pri-veyl] / prɪˈveɪl /

verb (used without object)

to be widespread or current; exist everywhere or generally.

Silence prevailed along the funeral route.
to appear or occur as the more important or frequent feature or element; predominate.

Green tints prevail in the upholstery.

Synonyms:

preponderate
to be or prove superior in strength, power, or influence (usually followed byover ).

They prevailed over their enemies in the battle.

Synonyms:

overcome

Antonyms:

lose
to succeed; become dominant; win out.

to wish that the right side might prevail.
to use persuasion or inducement successfully.

He prevailed upon us to accompany him.

prevail British

/ prɪˈveɪl /

verb

to prove superior; gain mastery

skill will prevail
to be or appear as the most important feature; be prevalent
to exist widely; be in force
to succeed in persuading or inducing

"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

Derived Forms

prevailer

noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of prevail

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English prevayllen “to grow very strong,” from Latin praevalēre “to be more able,” equivalent to prae- “before, in front” + valēre “to be strong”; see pre-, prevalent

Explanation

Prevail means to successfully persuade someone of something. If you were a Presidential advisor and you convinced him to make a National Day of Pet Appreciation, then you prevailed upon him to recognize pets. Prevail can be used for different kinds of success. If you prevail upon someone, you have influence on them. If you prevail over someone, you win. Say you’re a big fan of a losing team. You might cheer, “Despite all odds, we will prevail!” To use prevail, there has to be some kind of contest or conflict. That could be internal, like when you have a pile of homework to do, but your desire to play video games prevails over your discipline.

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Vocabulary lists containing prevail

List 1

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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15

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"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman

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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.

Can they now find the technique, resolve and patience to prevail when a more conventional style of Test cricket is required?

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Anything short of that might not be enough to prevail anymore.

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2026

Analysts broadly expect a repeat of many of the same trends in recent quarters—including help from solid capital markets—to prevail.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Many pilgrims who spoke to AFP expressed their hope that peace would prevail soon.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Too many farmers had assumed, without due enquiry, that on such a farm a spirit of licence and indiscipline would prevail.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell

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