verb
-
to give way in face of the overwhelming force (of) or desire (for)
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Victory in Denmark comes just five months after fans booed their side off against the same opponent in Nottingham, having watched them succumb to a 3-2 defeat under Ange Postecoglou.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
Goldin witnessed these protests firsthand coming up in the New York art scene, watching countless loved ones succumb to a disease that the government refused to address.
From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026
“Investors tend to sell first and ask questions later, and Bitcoin is one of the prime asset classes to succumb to investor fear, especially given how much it has run up in recent years.”
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
Van Dyke and the show gave me hope that my future marriage wouldn’t succumb to my apparent family curse.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026
He didn’t want her to get breathless and succumb to a fit of coughing.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
