overcome
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conquer; defeat.
to overcome the enemy.
- Synonyms:
- vanquish
-
to prevail over (opposition, a debility, temptations, etc.); surmount.
to overcome one's weaknesses.
-
to overpower or overwhelm in body or mind, as does liquor, a drug, exertion, or emotion.
I was overcome with grief.
-
Archaic. to overspread or overrun.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(tr) to get the better of in a conflict
-
(tr; often passive) to render incapable or powerless by laughter, sorrow, exhaustion, etc
he was overcome by fumes
-
(tr) to surmount (obstacles, objections, etc)
-
(intr) to be victorious
Related Words
See defeat.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overcome
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ofercuman; see over-, come
Explanation
Use the verb overcome when you talk about someone who has triumphed over adversity. It's great to see a friend who's always struggled in school overcome his learning disabilities and make the honor roll. You can also be overcome with emotions, or overwhelmed by your feelings. Many people feel so overcome with sadness at a movie — or happiness at a wedding — that they regret not bringing a pile of tissues with them. The verb overcome also means to win or surpass. If you are going to win the marathon, you are going to have to overcome having five runners ahead of you.
Vocabulary lists containing overcome
List 1
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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"Hitching a Ride"
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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.
New products are helping NIO overcome an industry sales slump.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
This rip-roaring AI-powered bull market has already overcome a handful of potentially existential challenges — from the 2023 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to last year’s tariff tantrum.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
It’s a tribute to coach Joe Manzo and his players’ ability to overcome the unavailability of the school gym after it was damaged by flooding in the fall.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
He probably does think slapping his name on a gaudy structure will be enough to overcome the historical record of his failures.
From Salon • May 20, 2026
Several students dozed in the back, overcome no doubt by the previous evening’s festivities.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
