succumb

American  

[suh-kuhm] / səˈkʌm /

verb (used without object)

1. to give way to superior force; yield.

   to succumb to despair.

   Synonyms:

   surrender, accede, submit

2. to yield to disease, wounds, old age, etc.; die.

---

succumb British  

/ səˈkʌm /

verb

1. to give way in face of the overwhelming force (of) or desire (for)

2. to be fatally overwhelmed (by disease, old age, etc); die (of)

---

Other Word Forms

• succumber noun
• unsuccumbing adjective

Etymology

Origin of succumb

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin succumbere, from suc- suc- + -cumbere (derivative of cubāre “to lie down, recline”); incumbent

Example Sentences

"If you succumb to temptation you basically give in. You eat that biscuit and then you carry on eating."

From BBC

But Isabel Losada’s book encourages readers to undertake a seemingly impossible mission: finding delight in navigating the absurd situations that committed environmentalists inevitably face, rather than succumbing to frustration.

From Los Angeles Times

Asked whether they've yet succumbed to the lure of artificial intelligence, Ms Harris responds with a firm denial.

From BBC

But it so far hasn’t succumbed to these forces.

From The Wall Street Journal

Today the dictionary disputes seem to have largely fizzled out, the pitched battles over lexicography having succumbed to a weary war of consumerist attrition.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bow
• break down
• buckle
• capitulate
• cave in
• cease
• defer
• give in
• give way
• go down
• pass away
• perish
• quit
• wilt
• yield