Synonyms

vanquish

American

[vang-kwish, van-] / ˈvæŋ kwɪʃ, ˈvæn- /

verb (used with object)

to conquer or subdue by superior force, as in battle.

Synonyms:

quell, crush, suppress, subjugate
to defeat in any contest or conflict; be victorious over.

to vanquish one's opponent in an argument.
to overcome or overpower.

He vanquished all his fears.

vanquish British

/ ˈvæŋkwɪʃ /

verb

to defeat or overcome in a battle, contest, etc; conquer
to defeat or overcome in argument or debate
to conquer (an emotion)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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Etymology

Origin of vanquish

1300–50; Middle English vencuschen, venquisshen < Old French vencus past participle and venquis past tense of veintre < Latin vincere to overcome

Explanation

To vanquish is to be the complete and total winner, to overpower and overcome, whether in a contest, a race, or a war. It generally suggests a total trouncing, to the point of humiliation — or worse — for the loser. Sometimes words for the same thing are effective in different ways because they offer different levels of meaning. For example, in a game, you can simply win, or you can vanquish your opponent. The former is enough, but the latter makes that defeat sound so much worse, like a total rout. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once stated, "Against war it may be said that it makes the victor stupid and the vanquished revengeful."

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Vocabulary lists containing vanquish

Grade 10, List 1

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The Tragedy of Macbeth

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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24

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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.

There is a problem, though, and it comes from the unlikelihood that OpenAI or Anthropic will ever vanquish the other.

From Slate • Feb. 10, 2026

They vanquish carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, a gas of which I am very fond.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Instead, still a couple of weeks out from his 18th birthday, Littler calmly made his way through the rounds and then put in a display as mature as it was astonishing to vanquish Van Gerwen.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2025

Unfortunately for us, we could not vanquish him sufficiently to prevent his return.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2024

ALBUS: “The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...”

From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023