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 aerospace sector has been on high alert for potential quality issues after Boeing’s yearslong battle to overcome a run of production challenges.
On Monday, President Prabowo Subianto - who was visiting some of the flood affected areas in North Sumatra - acknowledged some roads were still cut off, but added "we're doing everything we can to overcome difficulties".
From BBC
That has helped overcome lingering worries about an AI-fuelled tech bubble that some observers warn could pop and lead to a painful correction.
From Barron's
Chelsea must also overcome an increasingly poor record against Arsenal on Sunday, with just one win in their past 11 Premier League meetings.
From BBC
A team of overachievers filled with a roster of best friends combined chemistry, determination and toughness to overcome all odds.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
