conquer
gb/kˈɑŋkɚ/ us/kˈɑŋkɚ/
B2
English
~ 6100
meghódít, elfoglal, legyőz, leküzd, ural, elnyeri valakinek a szívét
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to conquer [a country/territory/people]
The invading army hoped to conquer the capital within a week.
A betörő hadsereg azt remélte, hogy egy héten belül elfoglalja a fővárost.
Many regions of Europe were conquered by the Romans.
Európa számos régióját meghódították a rómaiak.
After years of warfare, the kingdom was finally conquered and added to the emperor’s empire.
The general failed to conquer the heavily defended coastal city.
They set out to conquer new lands across the sea.
Learner examples
The Romans conquered many countries.
A rómaiak sok országot meghódítottak.
The city was conquered after a long war.
A várost egy hosszú háború után foglalták el.
A strong army can conquer a small country.
The king wanted to conquer the land to the east.
The island was conquered by foreign soldiers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *conquer* instead of *colonize* or *occupy*. *Conquer* focuses on winning control by force, usually in a war. *Occupy* is about staying and controlling an area, and *colonize* is about settling and controlling it over time.
Meaning
take control by force in war
Collocations
conquer a country
|conquer a territory
|conquer an empire
|invade and conquer
|conquer foreign lands
|be conquered by [an army]
Synonyms
subjugate (More formal and technical; emphasizes bringing people under strict control and often oppression.)
Antonyms
liberate (Means to free a country or people from control by another power, the opposite of conquering them.)
Themes
war
|history
|politics
|travel
Definition
to take control of a country or people by war and force
To take complete control of a country, region, or group of people by using military force, especially as a result of war.
VERB
B2
2
legyőz
B1
Usage pattern:
to conquer [an enemy/a rival/a team]
Our team finally conquered their long‑time rivals in the final match.
Csapatunk végre legyőzte régi riválisait a döntőben.
The smaller company managed to conquer a much larger competitor.
A kisebb cégnek sikerült legyőznie egy nála sokkal nagyobb versenytársat.
With this victory, they have conquered every major opponent in the league.
The rebels were quickly conquered by government forces.
She was determined to conquer anyone who stood in her way.
Learner examples
Their team conquered all other teams in the tournament.
A csapatuk a tornán az összes többi csapatot legyőzte.
The army conquered its enemy after a short fight.
A hadsereg egy rövid harc után legyőzte az ellenségét.
He trained hard so he could conquer his rivals.
They want to conquer every team in the league.
The rebels were conquered by the soldiers.
Common mistake:
Learners often use *win* instead of *conquer*. *Win* is more common in everyday speech: you *win a game* or *win against a team*. *Conquer* sounds stronger or more dramatic and is used when the victory is big, surprising, or complete.
Meaning
defeat an opponent or rival
Collocations
conquer an enemy
|conquer a rival
|conquer the opposition
|finally conquer
|struggle to conquer [someone]
|conquer in battle
Synonyms
defeat (The most common everyday word; does not always suggest the same sense of total or impressive victory that *conquer* can imply.)
Antonyms
lose to (Means to be defeated by someone else in a contest, the direct opposite of conquering them.)
Themes
sports
|competition
|conflict
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to beat someone or something, especially in a strong or complete way
To defeat someone or something, such as an opponent, team, or enemy, often in a clear or impressive way.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to conquer [a fear/a problem/a disease/a challenge]
She finally conquered her fear of flying and booked a long‑haul flight.
Végre leküzdötte a repüléstől való félelmét, és lefoglalt egy jegyet egy hosszú távú járatra.
Medical researchers are working hard to conquer cancer.
Az orvoskutatók keményen dolgoznak azon, hogy legyőzzék a rákot.
With practice and support, he managed to conquer his addiction.
After several failed attempts, they conquered the mountain’s difficult north face.
Mindfulness can help you conquer stress in your daily life.
Learner examples
He wants to conquer his fear of public speaking.
Szeretné leküzdeni a nyilvános beszédtől való félelmét.
Doctors hope to conquer this disease one day.
Az orvosok remélik, hogy egy nap sikerül legyőzniük ezt a betegséget.
She is trying to conquer her bad habits.
They trained for years to conquer the high mountain.
I used breathing exercises to conquer my stress.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *fight with my fear* or *win my fear*. In English, we usually say *overcome* or *conquer* a fear or problem, not *win* it.
Meaning
overcome a difficulty or problem
Collocations
conquer your fears
|conquer a fear of [something]
|conquer addiction
|conquer a disease
|conquer a challenge
|conquer Mount Everest
Synonyms
overcome (Very common in this sense; slightly less dramatic than *conquer* and can sound more neutral or everyday.)
Antonyms
succumb to (Means to be unable to resist or fight something, often a fear or illness, which is the opposite of conquering it.)
Themes
emotions
|health
|self-improvement
Definition
to win against a problem, fear, habit, or other hard thing
To successfully deal with and gain control over something difficult, unpleasant, or limiting, such as a fear, habit, illness, or physical challenge.
VERB
C1
4
Usage pattern:
to conquer [a market/a city/a field]
The company hopes its new smartphone will conquer the Asian market.
A cég azt reméli, hogy új okostelefonja meghódítja az ázsiai piacot.
After years of small roles, she finally conquered Hollywood.
Évekig tartó kisebb szerepek után végre meghódította Hollywoodot.
The band quickly conquered the local music scene with their first album.
They developed a strategy to conquer new markets in South America.
Streaming platforms have conquered much of the global entertainment industry.
Learner examples
The brand wants to conquer the European market.
A márka szeretné meghódítani az európai piacot.
He moved to Los Angeles to conquer Hollywood.
Azért költözött Los Angelesbe, hogy meghódítsa Hollywoodot.
Their app quickly conquered the local market.
The singer hopes to conquer the world music scene.
The company plans to conquer new markets next year.
Common mistake:
Learners often use only *enter the market* or *be successful in the market*. *Conquer the market* suggests more than simple success: it suggests becoming very strong or leading in that market.
Meaning
achieve dominant success in a field
Collocations
conquer the market
|conquer new markets
|conquer Hollywood
|conquer the world stage
|conquer the music scene
|conquer the global market
Synonyms
dominate (Focuses on controlling or leading a market or field; *conquer* adds a sense of strong or rapid success, often after effort.)
Antonyms
fail in (To be unsuccessful in entering or leading a market or field, the opposite of conquering it.)
Themes
business
|culture
|career
Definition
to become very successful and powerful in a place or area, like a market or industry
To achieve great and often leading success in a particular place, market, or field, so that you strongly control or influence it.
VERB
C1
LITERARY
5
Usage pattern:
to conquer [someone’s heart/someone]
With his kindness and humor, he soon conquered her heart.
Kedvességével és humorával hamar meghódította a szívét.
The singer’s performance conquered the hearts of millions watching at home.
Az énekes előadása meghódította az otthonról néző milliók szívét.
Her honesty and courage quickly conquered the audience.
The film’s simple story and strong characters conquered critics around the world.
Over time, his patience conquered even his harshest doubters.
Learner examples
The actor conquered the hearts of many fans.
A színész sok rajongó szívét hódította meg.
Her smile quickly conquered him.
A mosolya hamar meghódította.
The band conquered the audience with their first song.
The story conquered readers in many countries.
His warm personality conquered everyone in the room.
Common mistake:
Using *conquer* directly with a person in everyday speech (e.g. *He conquered her*) can sound old‑fashioned or too strong. It is more natural to say *conquer her heart* or to use *win her over* or *she fell in love with him*.
Meaning
win someone’s love or admiration
Collocations
conquer someone’s heart
|conquer the hearts of millions
|charm and conquer
|conquer the audience
|conquer fans worldwide
Synonyms
win over (Common and more neutral; can be used for opinions as well as love. *Conquer* sounds more dramatic or romantic.)
Antonyms
alienate (Means to make someone feel distant or unfriendly, the opposite of conquering their heart or affection.)
Themes
romance
|emotions
|relationships
Definition
to make someone love you or admire you very much
To gain someone’s love, affection, or deep admiration, often after persistent effort or charm.
Grammar
Dictionary form
conquer
IPA
GB/kˈɑŋkɚ/
US/kˈɑŋkɚ/
Syllables & stress
con - quer (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (con)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: conquer
- 3rd Person Singular: conquers
- Present Participle: conquering
- Past: conquered
Word family
Expressions
conquer new markets
1/kˈɑŋkɚ njˈu mˈɑɹkɪts/
fixed phrase
become strong in new markets
to enter new countries or groups of customers and become very successful there
Examples
- The company plans to conquer new markets in Southeast Asia.
- They developed a digital strategy to conquer new markets abroad.
conquer the world
1/kˈɑŋkɚ ðə wˈɚld/
idiom
aim for or achieve huge success
to become, or want to become, very successful and powerful in many places or areas
Examples
- After their hit single, the band felt ready to conquer the world.
- Tech startups often dream that their new app will conquer the world.
conquer your fears
1/kˈɑŋkɚ jˈʊɹ fˈɪɹz/
fixed phrase
overcome the things you fear
to stop being controlled by your fears and be able to act freely
Examples
- Public speaking classes can help you conquer your fears.
- She decided it was time to conquer her fears and learn to drive.
love conquers all
1/lˈʌv kˈɑŋkɚz ˈɔl/
idiom
literary
love overcomes every difficulty
people say this to mean that love is so strong it can solve or survive any problem
Examples
- It’s a simple story that suggests love conquers all.
- They believed that love conquers all and stayed together despite the distance.