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overcome

Use the verb overcome when you talk about someone who has triumphed over adversity. It's great to see a friend who's always struggled in school overcome his learning disabilities and make the honor roll.

You can also be overcome with emotions, or overwhelmed by your feelings. Many people feel so overcome with sadness at a movie — or happiness at a wedding — that they regret not bringing a pile of tissues with them. The verb overcome also means to win or surpass. If you are going to win the marathon, you are going to have to overcome the five runners still ahead of you.

DEFINITIONS OF: overcome

v win a victory over

“You must overcome all difficulties”

“He overcame his shyness”

“He overcame his infirmity”

Synonyms:: defeat, get the better of

Types:: show 32 types...; hide 32 types...; demolish, destroy
defeat soundly; beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; wallop
defeat soundly and utterly; down
bring down or defeat (an opponent); overrun
seize the position of and defeat; lurch, skunk
defeat by a lurch; expel, rout, rout out
cause to flee; upset
defeat suddenly and unexpectedly; nose
defeat by a narrow margin; conquer
overcome by conquest; come through, make it, pull round, pull through, survive
continue in existence after (an adversity, etc.); smash
overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful); swallow
engulf and destroy; cut to ribbons
defeat totally; outpoint, outscore
score more points than one's opponents; walk over
beat easily; eliminate
remove from a contest or race; mop up, pip, rack up, whip, worst
defeat thoroughly; whomp
beat overwhelmingly; get the best, have the best
overcome, usually through no fault or weakness of the person that is overcome; rout, spread-eagle, spreadeagle
defeat disastrously; get the jump
be there first; cheat, chicane, chouse, jockey, screw, shaft
defeat someone through trickery or deceit; exceed, outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surmount, surpass
be or do something to a greater degree; get over, master, subdue, surmount
get on top of; deal with successfully; best, outdo, outflank, scoop, trump
get the better of; outfight
to fight better than; get the better of; overmaster, overpower, overwhelm
overcome by superior force; checkmate, mate
place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game; immobilise, immobilize
make defenseless; outplay
excel or defeat in a game; bat, clobber, cream, drub, lick, thrash
beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight

v get on top of; deal with successfully

“He overcame his shyness”

Synonyms:: get over, master, subdue, surmount

Types:: bulldog
throw a steer by seizing the horns and twisting the neck, as in a rodeo

Type of:: beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

v overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli

Synonyms:: overpower, overtake, overwhelm, sweep over, whelm

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; devastate
overwhelm or overpower; clutch, get hold of, seize
affect; kill
overwhelm with hilarity, pleasure, or admiration; benight
overtake with darkness or night; knock out
overwhelm with admiration; stagger
astound or overwhelm, as with shock; lock
hold fast (in a certain state)

Type of:: arouse, elicit, enkindle, evoke, fire, kindle, provoke, raise
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

v overcome, usually through no fault or weakness of the person that is overcome

Synonyms:: get the best, have the best

Type of:: beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

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