conquer
Americanverb (used with object)
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to acquire by force of arms; win in war.
to conquer a foreign land.
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to overcome by force; subdue.
to conquer an enemy.
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to gain, win, or obtain by effort, personal appeal, etc..
conquer the hearts of his audience.
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to gain a victory over; surmount; master; overcome.
to conquer disease and poverty; to conquer one's fear.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to overcome (an enemy, army, etc); defeat
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to overcome (an obstacle, feeling, desire, etc); surmount
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(tr) to gain possession or control of by or as if by force or war; win
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(tr) to gain the love, sympathy, etc, of (someone) by seduction or force of personality
Synonym Usage
See defeat.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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conquerablenessnoun
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conquerornoun
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preconquerverb (used with object)
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reconquerverb (used with object)
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conquerableadjective
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conqueringadjective
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half-conqueredadjective
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unconquerableadjective
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unconqueredadjective
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conqueringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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conquersimple
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conquerssimple
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have conqueredperfect
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has conqueredperfect
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am conqueringprogressive
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are conqueringprogressive
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is conqueringprogressive
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have been conqueringperfect progressive
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has been conqueringperfect progressive
Past
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conqueredsimple
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had conqueredperfect
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was conqueringprogressive
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were conqueringprogressive
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had been conqueringperfect progressive
Future
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”; see con-, query
Explanation
To conquer is to defeat someone or something, usually with force, like army troops that conquer enemy territory, or your lunchtime hunger which you conquer with a sandwich and cup of soup. To correctly pronounce conquer, accent the first syllable: "CON-kur." It comes from the Old French word conquerre, meaning "defeat, vanquish." Use conquer to show you've gained control over something, like doing breathing exercises as the airplane takes off to help you conquer your fear of flying. You'll hear people say they've conquered Mount McKinley, or the Appalachian Trail. It means they've hiked and climbed the whole route, not declared the place theirs alone.
Vocabulary lists containing conquer
Beowulf vocabulary
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John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
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"Culture Clash"
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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:
"I'm fully focused. I understand there's a big picture. The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first we must conquer Earth. And this is my target here."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The weekend is almost in sight and you’re craving something comforting yet nourishing to help you conquer these final weeknights.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Not all superhero movies are destined to conquer the box office.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
Threats to conquer Greenland reduced his ability to call on allies in the Iran crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
“I will still conquer you,” said Pelicarnassus, who Zeke saw had lost his hat.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
“Life always conquers death; the beauty of nature ultimately triumphs.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
Their story portrayed to audiences that love conquers all and that it truly is blind — the sole premise or maybe even the fantasy the show is built on.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2023
However, if Buzzy has already begun to master the art of the Sorting Hat quiz, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before he conquers the rest of the SEO tentpoles.
From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2023
"It's also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all."
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2023
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Multiple hurdles had to be conquered to make the groundbreaking ride — which finally opens this summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
In 1954 Life magazine described Salk as the man who had conquered polio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Guillem Balague, speaking on 5 Live, said he saw Lamine Yamal walking out looking around like he had just conquered the world.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Ashgabat draws the origins of the cult to Turkmenistan's pre-statehood era, when nomadic tribes lived on the desert lands before Russia conquered them in the 19th century.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome had some type of slavery, usually based on the captivity of people conquered in wars.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Legs revolt and take Mediterranean holidays when they’re supposed to be conquering Alpine passes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The practice started when the financial-services companies that lined lower Broadway would throw their used stock-ticker tape out the window onto the conquering heroes passing below.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
But we all know summer fare like this is only ever as enjoyable as the monsters conjured up for conquering.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Despite conquering all in the sport, a humble Mullins praised the team behind him.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
The greatest achievement of the human race was not conquering death.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
