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:
"If I remain fearful, I will have nothing. But if I overcome, I will have everything."
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Russian engineers are skilled at exploiting off-the-shelf equipment to maximum benefit, such as in creating antennas that thwart electronic countermeasures and communication networks that overcome jamming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
A functioning warning system cannot always overcome such a short travel time.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
The Rams’ star-studded roster will overcome a 49ers team that features several key players nursing injuries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
The clerk’s face is overcome by a look of concern and she immediately raises the swinging counter to join Theo.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Alek Thomas drives in a run during his Dodgers debut and Tarik Skubal overcomes a rocky first inning as the Dodgers extend their winning streak to five games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 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
The new Harvard device overcomes these limitations by being fully tunable.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 21, 2026
Whether it’s the idea that misery loves company or that everyone endures and overcomes some sort of hardship, a glimmer of hope exists in a future that is unwritten.
From Salon ● Dec. 31, 2025
Brilliant immigrant kid overcomes poverty and the Depression, can’t get a job at the stuffy downtown law firms, makes it on his own through sheer hustle and ability.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
José Ramírez drove in five runs with three doubles and the streaking Guardians overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Angels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
But after 54 hours of work and several timely pep talks, Claude overcame its skepticism—and its case of impostor syndrome— and surprised itself with the result.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
The result also overcame significant doubts within the scientific community about whether sunlight could realistically drive the process.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
She overcame weather delays, and the loss of the first set, to defeat world number three Jessica Pegula in the Washington Open final, becoming the first Filipina to win a WTA title.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Bigwig found some horse dung along the track, dug the worms out of it, overcame his disgust and carried them one by one.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Russian engineers, through successive iterations, added speed and survivability thanks to better electronics for navigation and communications, overcoming much of Ukraine’s defenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Sly and the Family Stone’s message of overcoming prejudice and treating everyone with dignity, including ourselves, matches their steadfast dedication to making all their fans feel loved, especially children.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Watson kept alive her hopes of a first US Open singles main-draw appearance in five years by overcoming Spain's Angela Fita Boluda in a rollercoaster encounter lasting nearly three hours.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Reverse mortgages unlock wealth while overcoming the costs and emotional aspects of selling a house, but they can put a serious dent in bequests as fees and interest add up.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The lever was at work, overcoming Kaz’s resistance, moving him into place.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
