overcome

[ oh-ver-kuhm ]

verb (used with object)

, o·ver·came [oh-ver-, keym], o·ver·come, o·ver·com·ing.

1. to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conquer; defeat:

   to overcome the enemy.

   Synonyms: vanquish

2. to prevail over (opposition, a debility, temptations, etc.); surmount:

   to overcome one's weaknesses.

3. to overpower or overwhelm in body or mind, as does liquor, a drug, exertion, or emotion:

   I was overcome with grief.

4. Archaic. to overspread or overrun.

verb (used without object)

, o·ver·came [oh-ver-, keym], o·ver·come, o·ver·com·ing.

1. to gain the victory; win; conquer:

   a plan to overcome by any means possible.

overcome

/ ˌəʊvəˈkʌm /

verb

1. tr to get the better of in a conflict
2. tr; often passive to render incapable or powerless by laughter, sorrow, exhaustion, etc

   he was overcome by fumes

3. tr to surmount (obstacles, objections, etc)
4. intr to be victorious

Other Words From

• o·ver·com·er noun
• un·o·ver·come adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of overcome¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ofercuman; over-, come

Synonym Study

See defeat.

Example Sentences

Australia began their autumn games in encouraging fashion by following a dramatic opening win over England by comfortably overcoming Wales.

From BBC

There, he overcame his fears and learned to approach counselors and faculty for help.

From Los Angeles Times

One way to overcome efficiency droop is to increase the area of the LED, which gives you more light, but it also means that you need a larger chip.

From Science Daily

To overcome this obstacle, regenerative medicine treatments in use today require systemic immunosuppression, leaving patients vulnerable to environmental hazards like viruses, bacteria and cancer cells.

From Science Daily

"Finally, we need to understand and overcome the significant political barriers to transmission expansion across the West, which may make capacity additions difficult to achieve in practice," the researchers write.

From Science Daily