overcome

American  

[oh-ver-kuhm] / ˌoʊ vərˈkʌm /

verb (used with object)

overcame, overcome, overcoming

1. to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conquer; defeat.

   to overcome the enemy.

   Synonyms:

   vanquish

2. to prevail over (opposition, a debility, temptations, etc.); surmount.

   to overcome one's weaknesses.

3. to overpower or overwhelm in body or mind, as does liquor, a drug, exertion, or emotion.

   I was overcome with grief.

4. Archaic. to overspread or overrun.

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verb (used without object)

overcame, overcome, overcoming

1. to gain the victory; win; conquer.

   a plan to overcome by any means possible.

overcome British  

/ ˌəʊvəˈkʌm /

verb

1. (tr) to get the better of in a conflict

2. (tr; often passive) to render incapable or powerless by laughter, sorrow, exhaustion, etc

   he was overcome by fumes

3. (tr) to surmount (obstacles, objections, etc)

4. (intr) to be victorious

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Related Words

See defeat.

Other Word Forms

• overcomer noun
• unovercome adjective

Etymology

Origin of overcome

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ofercuman; over-, come

Example Sentences

Instantly, Camille is overcome with desire, as well as a more surprising, complicated feeling: jealousy.

From Salon

Last year at one point they were the best team in Southern California, but there were too many distractions and too many obstacles to overcome.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a deficit that they could not overcome.

From BBC

While Treacy is an experienced and successful racer in his own right, this - combined with the pressures of the Olympic stage - is another hurdle for him to overcome compared to better funded nations.

From BBC

To overcome this obstacle, the team engineered a modular nanostructure assembled from small components, similar to building with Lego blocks.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• conquer
• crush
• overpower
• overwhelm
• reduce
• stun
• surmount
• survive
• weather
• win