conquest
gb/kˈɑŋkwɛst/ us/kˈɑŋkwɛst/
B2
English
~ 8500
hódítás, elfoglalás, meghódítás, hódítmány, meghódított terület, leküzdés, legyőzés, megszerzés, térhódítás
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
the conquest of [place] by [group]
The Roman conquest of Britain changed the island’s history forever.
Britannia római meghódítása örökre megváltoztatta a sziget történelmét.
After years of war, the conquest of the capital marked the end of the old kingdom.
Évekig tartó háború után a főváros elfoglalása jelentette a régi királyság végét.
Many monuments were destroyed during the conquest of the region by the invading army.
The film tells the story of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.
They built a fortress on the hill to prevent any future conquest by neighboring states.
Learner examples
The conquest of the city took three long months.
A város elfoglalása három hosszú hónapig tartott.
After the conquest, the new king made many changes.
A hódítás után az új király sok változtatást vezetett be.
The book is about the conquest of the country by a foreign army.
They fought hard to stop the conquest of their land.
The conquest of the island was quick and bloody.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "conquest" (the event) with "conquer" (the verb). Use "conquest" as a noun: "the conquest of the city", not *"they conquest the city". Also, do not use it for small victories in games or arguments; it usually suggests something large, serious, and often military.
Meaning
taking control by military force
Collocations
military conquest
|foreign conquest
|the conquest of [country]
|conquest and colonization
|resist conquest
|subjected to conquest
Synonyms
subjugation (More formal; focuses on forcing people into complete control or obedience.)
|
invasion (Focuses on entering a place with an army; does not always imply full control is achieved, unlike conquest.)
Antonyms
liberation (Emphasizes freeing a country or people from foreign control, the opposite result of conquest.)
Themes
history
|war
|politics
Definition
The act of taking and controlling a country, city, or people by war and fighting.
The act of taking control of a country, city, or people, especially by using armed force over a period of time.
NOUN
B2
2
hódítmány
C1
Usage pattern:
[place] is a conquest of [group]
The island became a prized conquest of several European powers.
A sziget több európai hatalom értékes hódítmányává vált.
They treated the province as a mere conquest, not as an equal partner.
Úgy bántak a tartománnyal, mint puszta hódítmánnyal, nem pedig egyenrangú partnerrel.
The empire slowly lost its distant conquests over the next century.
For the invaders, the city was an important conquest along the trade route.
Many former conquests eventually gained their independence.
Learner examples
The small country was once a conquest of a big empire.
A kis ország egykor egy nagy birodalom hódítmánya volt.
The king boasted about his many conquests in other lands.
A király az idegen földeken szerzett számos hódítmányával dicsekedett.
They ruled their conquests with strict new laws.
This region was the first conquest of the general.
Several of their old conquests later became free states.
Common mistake:
Learners may use "conquest" only for the action and forget it can also mean the place or people that were taken. When you say "their African conquests", it means the territories they control there, not the wars themselves.
Meaning
territory or people gained by force
Collocations
new conquest
|distant conquest
|overseas conquest
|colonial conquest
|treat [place] as a conquest
Synonyms
possession (More general; can describe anything owned, not only something obtained by force, whereas conquest highlights how it was gained.)
Antonyms
independent state (Describes a country that is not under someone else’s control, the opposite of being a conquest.)
Themes
history
|war
|geography
|politics
|law
Definition
A country, place, or group of people that someone has taken and now controls, usually after a war.
A country, area, or group of people that has been taken and brought under control, especially by military force.
NOUN
C1
3
Usage pattern:
the conquest of [abstract or difficult thing]
Many scientists believe we are still far from the complete conquest of cancer.
Sok tudós úgy véli, hogy még messze vagyunk a rák teljes legyőzésétől.
The film celebrates humanity’s conquest of space in the 20th century.
A film az emberiség 20. századi űrhódítását ünnepli.
For him, the conquest of his fear of flying was a personal victory.
The author warns that the conquest of nature has come at a high environmental cost.
Medical advances have brought us closer to the conquest of several deadly diseases.
Learner examples
The conquest of disease is a goal for doctors.
A betegségek legyőzése az orvosok egyik célja.
She sees learning to speak in public as a conquest of fear.
A nyilvános beszéd megtanulását a félelme leküzdésének tekinti.
Some people call space travel the conquest of space.
They dream of the conquest of poverty in their country.
His weight loss felt like the conquest of a long problem.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this figurative sense in very ordinary situations. It is usually used for serious or large problems (disease, space, nature, fear), not for small things like "the conquest of my homework" or "the conquest of this level in a game".
Meaning
success in overcoming a difficulty
Collocations
the conquest of disease
|the conquest of cancer
|the conquest of fear
|the conquest of space
|the conquest of nature
|the conquest of poverty
Synonyms
overcoming (Common and neutral; focuses on beating a problem, while "conquest" sounds more dramatic and often more permanent.)
|
mastery (Emphasizes full control or skill; "conquest" emphasizes the struggle and victory over something difficult.)
Antonyms
surrender (Suggests giving up in the face of a difficulty, the opposite of conquering it.)
Themes
science
|medicine
|technology
|emotions
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Success in fighting and beating something hard, like a disease, fear, or a difficult place such as space or the mountains.
The successful act of gaining control over or defeating something difficult, such as a disease, fear, or environment.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
4
hódítás
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s latest conquest
He bragged about his latest conquest at the party, which made many people uncomfortable.
A bulin a legújabb hódításával dicsekedett, amitől sokan kényelmetlenül érezték magukat.
She hates being treated as a conquest rather than as a real person.
Utálja, ha hódításként kezelik, nem pedig valódi emberként.
The character keeps a list of his romantic conquests on his phone.
In the novel, he comes to regret viewing women only as conquests.
Tabloid newspapers often describe celebrities’ partners as their new conquests.
Learner examples
He talked about her as if she were just another conquest.
Úgy beszélt róla, mintha csak egy újabb hódítás lenne.
She does not want to be someone’s conquest.
Nem akar senkinek a hódítása lenni.
The magazine wrote about his many romantic conquests.
He likes to brag about his sexual conquests.
The movie shows him changing from a man of conquests to a man who wants real love.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense often sounds negative, sexist, or objectifying. It is safer to use words like "partner", "girlfriend", or "boyfriend" in normal conversation instead of calling someone a "conquest".
Meaning
person won romantically or sexually
Collocations
romantic conquest
|sexual conquest
|his latest conquest
|boast about conquests
|add to [his/her] conquests
Synonyms
hookup (Informal; focuses more on the sexual encounter itself, while "conquest" emphasizes the idea of winning someone and often suggests a pattern of many partners.)
Antonyms
steady partner (Emphasizes an ongoing, committed relationship, the opposite of treating people as one-time conquests.)
Themes
relationships
|sex
|emotions
Definition
A person you have sex with or date after trying to win their interest, especially when you talk about them as just another success.
A person with whom someone has successfully started a sexual or romantic relationship, especially when talked about as a trophy or as one of many.
NOUN
C1
5
Usage pattern:
the conquest of [market/field]
The company’s rapid conquest of the smartphone market surprised its rivals.
A vállalat gyors térhódítása az okostelefon-piacon meglepte a versenytársait.
Their conquest of the European market took almost a decade.
Az európai piac meghódítása majdnem egy évtizedbe telt nekik.
The team’s conquest of the championship title ended a long losing streak.
Some critics argue that the brand’s global conquest has harmed small local businesses.
The party focused on the conquest of rural districts in the last election.
Learner examples
The firm plans the conquest of the Asian market.
A cég az ázsiai piac meghódítását tervezi.
Their conquest of the league title made fans very happy.
A bajnoki cím megszerzése nagyon boldoggá tette a szurkolókat.
The book tells the story of the company’s conquest of the world market.
After years of work, their conquest of first place finally came.
They hope for the conquest of new customers next year.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this is always about war. In business, politics, and sports, "conquest" is often used metaphorically to describe success or dominance, but it still sounds strong and dramatic, not neutral like "growth" or "expansion".
Meaning
winning dominance in a market or field
Collocations
the conquest of the market
|global market conquest
|conquest of new territories (business)
|electoral conquest
|title conquest
Synonyms
domination (Focuses on being the strongest or most powerful player; "conquest" suggests the process of winning that position, often with effort and struggle.)
Antonyms
defeat (In business or competition, describes losing rather than gaining control or success.)
Themes
business
|sports
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Winning strong control or success in a business area, sport, or other field, often spoken about like winning a battle.
The act of gaining dominant control, success, or influence in a particular market, field, or competition, often described using the language of military victory.
Grammar
Dictionary form
conquest
IPA
GB/kˈɑŋkwɛst/
US/kˈɑŋkwɛst/
Syllables & stress
con - quest (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (con)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: conquest
- Plural: conquest, conquests
Word family
Expressions
military conquest
1/mˈɪlɪtˌɛɹi kˈɑŋkwɛst/
fixed phrase
taking land by armed force
The taking and controlling of land or people by an army or other armed forces.
Examples
- The documentary explores the history of military conquest in the region.
- They opposed any further military conquest and called for peace.
- Military conquest was often followed by colonization and cultural change.
romantic conquest
4/ɹoʊmˈæntɪk kˈɑŋkwɛst/
fixed phrase
person won in romance
Someone you have started a romantic or sexual relationship with after trying to win their interest, often spoken about as a victory or success.
Examples
- He talks about his romantic conquests as if they were prizes.
- The film criticizes the hero’s view of women as romantic conquests.
- Gossip magazines love to list celebrities’ latest romantic conquests.
sexual conquest
5/sˈɛkʃuəl kˈɑŋkwɛst/
fixed phrase
informal
person treated as sexual trophy
A person you have had sex with after trying to win them, spoken about as a success or trophy rather than as a person.
Examples
- He kept boasting about his many sexual conquests.
- The book criticizes the culture that celebrates male sexual conquest.
- She refused to be anyone’s sexual conquest.
the conquest of space
3/ðə kˈɑŋkwɛst əv spˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
successful exploration and use of space
The successful exploring and use of outer space by people, especially in the 20th century with rockets and satellites.
Examples
- The conquest of space became a symbol of national pride during the Cold War.
- This museum has an exhibit on the conquest of space.
- Many scientists warn that the conquest of space raises new ethical questions.
the Norman Conquest
2/ðə nˈɔɹmən kˈɑŋkwɛst/
fixed phrase
1066 Norman takeover of England
The invasion and taking of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy, which changed English history and language.
Examples
- Students are learning about the Norman Conquest in their history class.
- The Norman Conquest had a huge effect on the English language.
- Many English castles were built soon after the Norman Conquest.