Meanings
present singular third person overcomes · participle present overcoming · past overcame · alternative poetic o'ercome
- transitiveTo surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.
But sith this wretched woman ouercome / Of anguish, rather then of crime hath beene,
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 582 more examples
By and by fumes of brandy began to fill the air, and climb to where I lay, overcoming the mouldy smell of decayed wood and the dampness of the green walls.
[1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLCIn the early days troubles were experienced with oscillation from the rod drive and with the transformers, but were overcome later, and these machines performed useful service until superseded by more modern locomotives less costly in maintenance.
1960 December, Cecil J. Allen, “Operating a mountain main line: the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 743Synonyms: hurdle
- intransitiveTo prevail.
We shall overcome because Carlyle is right; "no lie can live forever".
1968, Martin Luther King Jr., (Please provide the book title or journal name)2 more examples
Hee that ouercommeth, the same shalbe clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life, but I will confesse his name before my Father, and before his Angels.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 3:5Preacher: Maintain, my brothers and sisters--we have faced adversity, and overcome. This is but a test! Preacher: Remember the pillars of strength that hold our people high. Show the galaxy our resolve!
2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel, Docking Bay E24 (Kite's Nest: Pillars of Strength) - transitiveTo win against or prevail over in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
to overcome enemies in battle
3 more examples
Ther with all cam kyng Arthur but with a fewe peple and slewe on the lyfte hand and on the ryght hand that wel nyhe ther escaped no man / but alle were slayne to the nombre of xxx M / And whan the bataille was all ended the kynge kneled doune and thanked god mekely / and thenne he sente for the quene and soone she was come / and she maade grete Ioye of the ouercomynge of that bataille
1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “iij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book IVThey were faire Ladies, till they fondly ſtriu’d / With th’Heliconian maides for mayſtery; / Of whom they ouer-comen, were depriu’d / Of their proud beautie, and th’one moyity / Transform’d to fiſh, for their bold ſurquedry, / But th’vpper halfe their hew retayned ſtill, / And their ſweet skill in wonted melody; / Which euer after they abuſd to ill, / T’allure weake traueillers, whom gotten they did kill.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 31, pages 370–371That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired. And if the arts of humbleness failed him, he overcame you by sheer impudence.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLCSynonyms: vanquish
- To come or pass over; to spread over.
I was overcome with anger.
2 more examples
And overcome us like a summer's cloud.
c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]The firefighters put on breathing apparatus and managed to find the injured. In one case, they were almost too late - one of the bystanders who had helped with the initial rescue attempts had been reported missing. They were later found unconscious, having been overcome by the fumes.
2026 March 18, Greg Morse, “1996 crash driving freight reforms”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 51Synonyms: overtake
- obsoleteTo overflow; to surcharge.
A Crop so plenteous, as the Land to load, O'ercome the crowded Barns
1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC1 more example
Th' unfallow'd Glebe Yearly o'ercomes the Granaries with Store Of Golden Wheat.
1708, [John Philips], “(please specify the page)”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.
verbTo win against or prevail over in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
verbTo come or pass over; to spread over.
adjectiveThat has been overcome, prevailed over.
More synonyms by meaning
verbget on top of; deal with successfully
verbovercome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
verbovercome, usually through no fault or weakness of the person that is overcome
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishofercuman
- Middle Englishovercomen
- Englishovercome
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.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek καίνυμαι
- καίνυμαι (kaínumai)to win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
Arabic هَزَمَ, غَلَبَ
- هَزَمَ (hazama)to surmount, get the better of
- غَلَبَ (ḡalaba)to surmount, get the better of
- قَهَر (qahar)to surmount, get the better of
Bulgarian преодолявам, превъзмогвам
- преодолявам (preodoljavam)to surmount, get the better of
- превъзмогвам (prevăzmogvam)to surmount, get the better of
- побеждавам (pobeždavam)to win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
Chinese Mandarin 征服, 克服
- 征服 (zhēngfú)to surmount, get the better of
- 克服 (kèfú)to surmount, get the better of
- 征服 (zhēngfú)to win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
Czech překonat, přemoci
- překonatto surmount, get the better of
- přemocito surmount, get the better of
- zvládnoutto win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
- zvládatto win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
Dutch overwinnen
- overwinnento surmount, get the better of
Esperanto venki, superforti
- venkito surmount, get the better of
- superfortito surmount, get the better of
Finnish voittaa, peitota
- voittaato surmount, get the better of
- peitotato surmount, get the better of
- pitää jotakin vallassaanto surmount, get the better of
- peittääto surmount, get the better of
- voittaato win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
- valua ylito overflow; to surcharge
French vaincre, surmonter
- vaincreto surmount, get the better of
- surmonterto surmount, get the better of
German überwinden, bewältigen
- überwindento surmount, get the better of
- bewältigento surmount, get the better of
Hungarian erőt vesz, úrrá lesz
- erőt veszto surmount, get the better of
- úrrá leszto surmount, get the better of
- felülkerekedikto surmount, get the better of
Indonesian mengatasi
- mengatasito surmount, get the better of
Italian superare, sconfiggere
- superareto surmount, get the better of
- sconfiggereto surmount, get the better of
Japanese 克服する, 征服する
- 克服する (kokufuku suru)to surmount, get the better of
- 征服する (seifuku suru)to surmount, get the better of
- 乗り越える (norikoeru)to surmount, get the better of
Korean 극복하다, 이겨내다
- 극복하다 (geukbokhada)to surmount, get the better of
- 이겨내다 (igyeonaeda)to surmount, get the better of
Latin superō, vincō
- superōto surmount, get the better of
- vincōto win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
- superōto come or pass over; to spread over
Māori whakatungou, where
- whakatungouto surmount, get the better of
- whereto surmount, get the better of
- kaketo surmount, get the better of
- poketo surmount, get the better of
- whakatinato surmount, get the better of
- wharato surmount, get the better of
- tārūto surmount, get the better of
- eke panukuto surmount, get the better of
- whakatungouto win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
- wikitōriato win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
- whakatinato win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
- tārūto win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
Persian چیرادن
- چیرادنto win or prevail in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
Polish przezwyciężać, przezwyciężyć
- przezwyciężaćto surmount, get the better of
- przezwyciężyćto surmount, get the better of
- przemagaćto surmount, get the better of
- przemócto surmount, get the better of
Portuguese vencer, superar
- vencerto surmount, get the better of
- superarto surmount, get the better of
- ultrapassarto surmount, get the better of
Romanian învinge, birui
- învingeto surmount, get the better of
- biruito surmount, get the better of
Russian преодолева́ть, преодоле́ть
- преодолева́ть (preodolevátʹ)to surmount, get the better of
- преодоле́ть (preodolétʹ)to surmount, get the better of
Scottish Gaelic ceannsaich
- ceannsaichto surmount, get the better of
Slovak prekonať, zdolať
- prekonaťto surmount, get the better of
- zdolaťto surmount, get the better of
Spanish sobreponerse a
- sobreponerse ato surmount, get the better of
Swedish övervinna, överkomma
- övervinnato surmount, get the better of
- överkommato surmount, get the better of
Thai เอาชนะ, ครอบงำ
- เอาชนะ (ao-chá-ná)to surmount, get the better of
- ครอบงำ (krɔ̂ɔp-ngam)to come or pass over; to spread over
Turkish yenmek, atlatmak
- yenmekto surmount, get the better of
- atlatmakto surmount, get the better of
- üstesinden gelmekto surmount, get the better of
Ukrainian дола́ти, подола́ти
- дола́ти (doláty)to surmount, get the better of
- подола́ти (podoláty)to surmount, get the better of
Vietnamese vượt qua
- vượt quato surmount, get the better of
Yiddish בײַקומען, אַוועקלייגן
- בײַקומען (baykumen)to surmount, get the better of
- אַוועקלייגן (avekleygn)to surmount, get the better of
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with overcome
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
overcome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcome
“overcome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcome. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overcome,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcome.
Source: overcome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.