overcome
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overcomes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overcame,
past
-
overcome,
past participle
-
overcoming
present participle
-
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)
-
overcomes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overcame,
past
-
overcome,
past participle
-
overcoming
present participle
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
Synonym Usage
See defeat.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overcomesimple
-
overcomessimple
-
have overcomeperfect
-
has overcomeperfect
-
am overcomingprogressive
-
are overcomingprogressive
-
is overcomingprogressive
-
have been overcomingperfect progressive
-
has been overcomingperfect progressive
Past
-
overcamesimple
-
had overcomeperfect
-
was overcomingprogressive
-
were overcomingprogressive
-
had been overcomingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
The researchers believe their new design could overcome these limitations.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
The new laser technology could help overcome that obstacle, potentially allowing scientists to image proteins as small as one-third the size of those that challenge current microscopes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
Investors recently soured amid problems and soft demand for its joint replacements, but those look like stumbles that can be overcome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Swiatek has often been overcome by emotion during matches, most recently when she wiped away tears during her defeat by childhood friend Chwalinska.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
They could hardly believe what they had just done, and they were as overcome with emotion as Sørlle was.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Sentiment among German investors exceeded expectations again this month on a bumper earnings season, as the economy overcomes some of the shock of the war in Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
This overcomes a key challenge facing Moore's Law that Intel sums up as: "You can make something smaller and smaller and smaller... until you can't".
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
He added that "it is particularly meaningful in that it simultaneously overcomes the key limitations of existing CAR-macrophage therapies -- delivery efficiency and the immunosuppressive tumor environment."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 11, 2026
But even here, her sincerity overcomes her weakness for sentimental flourishes, including Amine Bouhafa’s treacly score.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
The plotlines are always the same, too—a poor woman overcomes adversity and marries a rich asshole and they live happily ever after.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
The research team overcame this obstacle by developing a technique that applies tiny amounts of MOF material directly to the mitochondrial surface.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
The Saudi government overcame that challenge through an effective hearts and minds campaign.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Back-to-back playoff appearances suggested there was more to come—especially considering the rash of injuries the team overcame last season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The total overcame the milestone set by “The Studio” with its 13 wins last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
She advanced slowly toward him, and Mr. Edwards overcame his impulse to edge away.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that molecules attached to a surface can reach the ultimate quantum limit of optical coherence, overcoming a major obstacle that has long restricted molecular quantum research.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
The 17-track record is a concept album which explores overcoming heartbreak, self-doubt and internet trolling.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Mesabi took nearly 20 years to complete its iron-ore mine in northern Minnesota, overcoming years of delays, missed deadlines and a bankruptcy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Then we started talking about the parallel of programming and overcoming programming, and what makes you human, what doesn’t, that parallel came first.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
The wood, Pocock murmured, taught us about survival, about overcoming difficulty, about prevailing over adversity, but it also taught us something about the underlying reason for surviving in the first place.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
