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.
“It is like a giant chess game, in which we need to continue to keep trying to anticipate the next movement, and to overcome it to plan our next move,” Grant told me.
From Slate • May 18, 2026
Other experimental technologies are also exploring ways to overcome this challenge, including ultrasound-based delivery systems, "brain shuttle" molecules, and additional nanoparticle platforms designed to cross the barrier more effectively.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
But according to Feldman, Cerebras has overcome this limitation using new software.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Kelsey Plum finishes with a game-high 27 points, but the Sparks can’t overcome five Las Vegas Aces players scoring in double figures in a 105-78 loss.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
I staggered back, overcome by the need for sleep.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
