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
- overcomer noun
- unovercome adjective
Etymology
Origin of overcome
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ofercuman; over-, come
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.
The complaint states that Black feels “called by his faith to return to Broadview to pray for ICE officers there, but his experience requires him to overcome fear in order to do so.”
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
Judit’s mission to survive and overcome the unhappiness of her childhood gives her life meaning—but it does her damage as well.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
To overcome these barriers, scientists emphasize the need for collaboration across disciplines.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
"Our consumer business worked to overcome formidable challenges," rotating chairwoman Meng Wanzhou said in Tuesday's report, noting also that Huawei was "moving toward a future that is full of uncertainty".
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
Nevertheless, he could not quite overcome his surprise when, after a short while, they indeed came upon a swift running brook winding its way through a stand of rowans.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
