Meanings
present singular third person succumbs · participle present succumbing · participle past succumbed · past succumbed · participle past succame · past succame
- intransitiveTo yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.
succumb to temptation
4 more examples
succumb under misfortunes
Thai culture as in many other Asian cultures, is succumbing to the influence of westernization.
Jones was called into action to deny Ruiz with a fine tackle before succumbing to his injury.
2011 December 21, Tom Rostance, “Fulham 0 - 5 Man Utd”, in BBC SportSadly, the independent bookshop that occupied a room in the southern station building has succumbed to closure, due to the pandemic.
2022 January 12, Paul Bigland, “Fab Four: the nation's finest stations: Grange-over-Sands”, in RAIL, number 948, page 28 - euphemisticintransitiveTo die.
succumb to pneumonia
1 more example
Upon returning to his flat, he discovered much to his dismay, that his ficus benjamina had succumbed.
1976 December 25, “Untitled cartoon”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 26, page 5 - transitiveTo overwhelm or bring down.
She had run away with Chiwi to San Jose when he was a year and half old; only to succumb him to the abuse of his aunt.
2014, Gideon C Mekwunye, Tear Drops - Part 2, →ISBN, page 4552 more examples
He has not allowed the burn and his subsequent injury to succumb him, but to make him forever different but also, I think, forever better.
2012, Scott M. Garrett, Forever Different, →ISBNKnown to be genuinely cheerful, every few months an unseen shadow would nevertheless succumb him, delivering a two-week melancholic stew of resentment and depression.
2015, David Marlett, Fortunate Son: A Novel of the Greatest Trial in Irish History, →ISBN
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*upó
- Proto-Italic*supo
- Latinsub
- Latinsub-
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱewb-
- Proto-Italic*kumbō
- Latin*cumbō
- Latinsuccumbere
- Old Frenchsuccomber
- Englishsuccumb
From Old French succomber, from Latin succumbō.
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian поддавам се, отстъпвам
- поддавам се (poddavam se)to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- отстъпвам (otstăpvam)to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- предавам се (predavam se)to give up, or give in
- умирам (umiram)to die
Chinese Cantonese 屈服, 屈從 /屈从
- 屈服 (wat¹ fuk⁶)to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- 屈從 /屈从 (wat¹ cong⁴)to give up, or give in
Chinese Mandarin 屈服, 屈從 /屈从
- 屈服 (qūfú)to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- 屈從 /屈从 (qūcóng)to give up, or give in
- 死 (sǐ)to die
Czech podlehnout, podlehnout
- podlehnoutto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- podlehnoutto give up, or give in
- podlehnoutto die
Dutch bezwijken, opgeven
- bezwijkento yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- opgevento give up, or give in
- bezwijkento die
- overweldigento overwhelm
Esperanto venkiĝi
- venkiĝito yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
Finnish antaa periksi, antaa periksi
- antaa periksito yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- antaa periksito give up, or give in
- antautuato give up, or give in
- menehtyäto die
French succomber, succomber
- succomberto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- succomberto give up, or give in
- succomberto die
German erliegen, nachgeben
- erliegento yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- nachgebento yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- unterwerfento give up, or give in
- nachgebento give up, or give in
- sich ergebento give up, or give in
- sterbento die
- erliegento die
- den Geist aufgebento die
- überwältigento overwhelm
- unterwerfento overwhelm
Greek υποκύπτω, υποκύπτω
- υποκύπτω (ypokýpto)to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- υποκύπτω (ypokýpto)to give up, or give in
- υποκύπτω (ypokýpto)to die
Hungarian enged, megadja magát
- engedto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- megadja magátto give up, or give in
- elbukikto give up, or give in
- alulmaradto give up, or give in
- elhunyto die
- meghalto die
- belehalto die
Italian soccombere, arrendersi
- soccombereto give up, or give in
- arrendersito give up, or give in
- soccombereto die
Latin succumbō, succumbō
- succumbōto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- succumbōto give up, or give in
Māori auheke, auheke
- auheketo yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- auheketo give up, or give in
Norwegian gi etter
- gi etterto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
Norwegian Bokmål gi etter, føye seg
- gi etterto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- føye segto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- gi segto give up, or give in
- gi oppto give up, or give in
- gi opp åndento die
Polish ulec, ulec
- ulecto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- ulecto give up, or give in
- umrzećto die
- przytłoczyćto overwhelm
Portuguese sucumbir, sucumbir
- sucumbirto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- sucumbirto give up, or give in
- desistirto give up, or give in
- sucumbirto die
- morrerto die
Romanian sucomba, ceda
- sucombato yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- cedato give up, or give in
- a se da bătutto give up, or give in
- sucombato die
Russian уступа́ть, уступа́ть
- уступа́ть (ustupátʹ)to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- уступа́ть (ustupátʹ)to give up, or give in
- умирать (umiratʹ)to die
Spanish sucumbir, sucumbir
- sucumbirto yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire
- sucumbirto give up, or give in
- rendirseto give up, or give in
- cederto give up, or give in
- sucumbirto die
Swedish dö
- döto die
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with succumb
All rhymes →Cite this entry
succumb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/succumb
“succumb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/succumb. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “succumb,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/succumb.
Source: succumb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.