conquer
Americanverb (used with object)
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conquers,
present (3rd person singular)
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conquered,
past participle, past
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conquering
present participle
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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)
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conquers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
conquered,
past participle, past
-
conquering
present participle
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:
But there are ways to conquer your fears.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
“How do you conquer a civilization and a people?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
"There's a sizeable market to conquer," said Versloot, who was brought in just over a year ago to turn around BIC's fortunes after years of depressed sales.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
He’s out to conquer it—and he doesn’t care if he makes an enemy of everyone else in the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Isa had to come up with a new plan to conquer the Beiderman once and for all, and she had to do it fast.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Love is the root of much pain, but it’s also what conquers it in the end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Life always conquers death; the beauty of nature ultimately triumphs.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
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
For deodorants are not quite correctly named; they substitute one smell for another, and the substitute must be much stronger and more penetrating than the odor it conquers.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
The supreme coronation came in 2023, when City finally conquered Europe by defeating Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Soy conquered America not because Americans craved the bean, but because it was remarkably versatile.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
In an opening montage, we hear how Oasis conquered the world in the 1990s with hits like Wonderwall and Roll With It.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
And I was wondering, actually, is the stage the last place that cannot be conquered by AI, and will not be replaced by AI?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
“I think so. Subtle laws govern wand ownership, but the conquered wand will usually bend its will to its new master.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
This frontier, it turns out, is both geographic — as embodied by the ever-expanding borders of a nation intent on colonizing and conquering much of the continent — and psychological.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The platform surged in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, conquering the global fast-fashion market by catering to young customers through social media.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
It was the late 1970s, when Dolly Rebecca Parton was well on her way to conquering the worlds of pop, Hollywood and business.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
He started with a $100 machine, making trinkets like Christmas ornaments and puzzles, but has since upgraded to more expensive printers for conquering a range of home repairs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
He was working himself into a foul temper over the day’s performance by his mighty conquering horde.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
