overcome
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
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
Related Words
See defeat.
Other Word Forms
- overcomer noun
- unovercome adjective
Etymology
Origin of overcome
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ofercuman; over-, come
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.
Mountaineers say they sometimes get overcome by what's known as summit fever - the desire to reach the top - even if they have concerns about their climb.
From BBC
“These are the physical challenges Mamdani is going to have to overcome,” said Kate Wittels, who helped conduct the feasibility study and is now a partner at consulting firm HR&A Advisors.
Believing Leah was overcome by the spirits, her hostess took her out into the yard for some fresh air.
From Literature
"We showed our resilience and our ability to overcome problems, but this competition is difficult. It is important to improve and that is what we will try to do."
From Barron's
"It's going to be hard for Daniel to overcome all the things going on in his camp," Ofo said.
From BBC
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.
