conquer

American  

[kong-ker] / ˈkɒŋ kər /

verb (used with object)

1. to acquire by force of arms; win in war.

   to conquer a foreign land.

2. to overcome by force; subdue.

   to conquer an enemy.

   Synonyms:

   subjugate, overthrow, overpower, vanquish

3. to gain, win, or obtain by effort, personal appeal, etc..

   conquer the hearts of his audience.

4. to gain a victory over; surmount; master; overcome.

   to conquer disease and poverty; to conquer one's fear.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be victorious; make conquests; gain the victory.

   Despite their differences, their love will conquer.

conquer British  

/ ˈkɒŋkə /

verb

1. to overcome (an enemy, army, etc); defeat

2. to overcome (an obstacle, feeling, desire, etc); surmount

3. (tr) to gain possession or control of by or as if by force or war; win

4. (tr) to gain the love, sympathy, etc, of (someone) by seduction or force of personality

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conquer Idioms  

1. see divide and conquer.

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Related Words

See defeat.

Other Word Forms

• conquerable adjective
• conquerableness noun
• conquering adjective
• conqueringly adverb
• conqueror noun
• half-conquered adjective
• preconquer verb (used with object)
• reconquer verb (used with object)
• unconquerable adjective
• unconquered adjective

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”; con-, query

Example Sentences

Those who have conquered Stelvio before say the crucial stretch of the downhill starts right around the 1:20 mark.

From The Wall Street Journal

These achievements helped upend the music industry’s long-held belief that singing in Spanish would limit artists’ reach and prevent them from conquering the U.S., the world’s biggest music market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since it first became achievable in 1960, to become champions of England, conquer Europe and win the FA Cup and League Cup in the same campaign, there have been four different trebles.

From BBC

He has little use for those gurus who tell us that we can “conquer the world.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Rachel managed to deceive and conquer throughout the game with her right-hand man, fellow traitor and fellow winner Stephen, who was someone she trusted from the start.

From BBC

Related Words

• crush
• overthrow
• quell
• rout
• subdue
• subjugate
• surmount
• vanquish