overpower
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to overcome, master, or subdue by superior force.
to overpower a maniac.
-
to overcome or overwhelm in feeling; affect or impress excessively.
overpowered with confusion and desire.
-
to gain mastery over the bodily powers or mental faculties of.
a strong drink that quickly overpowered him.
-
to furnish or equip with excessive power: pow: power.
a giant motor that overpowered the pump.
verb
-
to conquer or subdue by superior force
-
to have such a strong effect on as to make helpless or ineffective
-
to supply with more power than necessary
Other Word Forms
- unoverpowered adjective
Etymology
Origin of overpower
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 resolution would need to pass with a two-thirds majority in the Senate and House of Representatives to overpower a veto—a level of support it’s unlikely to get.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
Nor does he have the punch to overpower opponents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026
Finding failed galaxies like Cloud-9 is difficult because nearby bright objects often overpower their faint signals.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026
And Carey, a former Australian Rules Football player, said Labuschagne was never likely to overpower him.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025
He was still attempting to fend off the flu-like symptoms of malaria that had been trying to overpower him since the first two canoes were smashed.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
