vanquish

[ vang-kwish, van- ]

verb (used with object)

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

   Synonyms: quell, crush, suppress, subjugate

2. to defeat in any contest or conflict; be victorious over:

   to vanquish one's opponent in an argument.

3. to overcome or overpower:

   He vanquished all his fears.

vanquish

/ ˈvæŋkwɪʃ /

verb

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

Derived Forms

• ˈvanquishable, adjective
• ˈvanquisher, noun
• ˈvanquishment, noun

Other Words From

• vanquish·a·ble adjective
• vanquish·er noun
• vanquish·ment noun
• un·vanquish·a·ble adjective
• un·vanquished adjective
• un·vanquish·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vanquish¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vanquish¹

C14: vanquisshen, from Old French venquis vanquished, from veintre to overcome, from Latin vincere

Example Sentences

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

From Salon

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

From Salon

Vinciquerra helped vanquish such talk by shaping the studio into a more respected part of the PlayStation maker’s global empire.

From Los Angeles Times

But what if you could reimagine your memories — both recent and from long ago — to vanquish feelings of regret?

From Los Angeles Times

In June, the World Health Organization warned that far too few new antibiotics are currently in the global development pipeline, and the ones that are there fall far short of the innovation required to vanquish the most dangerous microbes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• conquer
• crush
• overcome
• overpower
• quell
• repress
• rout
• subdue
• surmount