overpower
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to defeat or control someone because you are much stronger than they are.
to defeat or subdue an opponent by employing superior physical strength or force.
Simple“The police managed to overpower the thief before he could run away.”
In context“Security personnel were forced to intervene and eventually overpower the intruder, who had attempted to breach the perimeter during the gala.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to be so strong that you cannot smell, taste, or see anything else.
to render a sensation or quality imperceptible by means of greater intensity or strength.
Simple“The smell of the strong perfume started to overpower the scent of the flowers.”
In context“The pungent aroma of garlic threatened to overpower the delicate flavours of the white wine sauce if the chef was not careful.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
to affect someone so strongly that they cannot think clearly or act normally.
to affect a person's emotions or mental state so intensely that they are unable to maintain composure.
Simple“A sudden feeling of sadness began to overpower her as she looked at the old photos.”
In context“A profound sense of grief seemed to overpower the speaker, forcing him to pause his eulogy and regain his breath.”
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Italic *potis Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt Proto-Italic *som Proto-Italic *possom Latin posseder. Vulgar Latin potēre Old French pooir Anglo-Norman poerbor. Middle English power English power English overpower From over- + power.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.