overcome
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to successfully deal with a difficult situation or problem.
v.to surmount or prevail over a physical or abstract obstacle. Transitive — requires a direct object.
Simple“She had to overcome many challenges to finish her university degree while working.”
In context“The startup eventually managed to overcome its initial funding shortfall by securing a series of private investments from local angel groups.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to defeat someone in a competition, fight, or war.
v.to prevail over an adversary in a contest, battle, or struggle.
Simple“The team worked together to overcome their rivals in the final minutes of the game.”
In context“Historical accounts suggest the smaller army was able to overcome the invaders through superior knowledge of the mountainous terrain.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.to be so affected by a strong emotion that you cannot act or speak normally.
adj.to be overwhelmed or incapacitated by a powerful emotional state or physical condition. Often used in the passive voice with 'by' or 'with'.
Simple“He was overcome with grief when he heard the sad news.”
In context“The witness was so overcome by emotion that the judge had to call for a brief recess to allow her to recover her composure.”
SynonymsAntonymsindifferentunmoved
Usage overcome difficulty · overcome obstacle
“The 23-year‑old has already overcome plenty of barriers.”
“When I was younger, female biology was seen as something to be overcome.”
Inherited from Middle English overcomen, inherited from Old English ofercuman (“to overcome, subdue, compel, conquer, obtain, attain, reach, overtake”). By surface analysis, over- + come. Cognate with Dutch overkomen, German überkommen, Danish overkomme, Swedish överkomma.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.