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

Other Word Forms

unvanquishable adjective
unvanquished adjective
unvanquishing adjective
vanquishable adjective
vanquisher noun
vanquishment noun

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

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

The leader of one such community, Gaspar Yanga, forced Spanish authorities to recognize its autonomy, after troops failed to vanquish him in 1608.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026

The sleepy town of Hawkins is under quarantine as the show’s heroes search for a way to find and vanquish the baddie Vecna.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

And writers’ enthusiasm for em dashes is often hard-won, given that plenty of editors and readers would be happy to vanquish those ostentatious marks from the page entirely.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2025

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