overcome
gb/ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm/ us/ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm/
B1
English
~ 2600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Succeed in dealing with a problem
To win against a problem or difficulty.
Usage pattern:
to overcome [a problem/difficulty/challenge]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'overcome' with 'come over', which has a completely different meaning related to visiting.
Synonyms
conquer (Implies complete victory over something challenging.)
|
defeat (Often used for opponents but can apply to problems.)
Antonyms
succumb (Means to fail to resist something negative, the opposite of overcoming it.)
Collocations
overcome obstacles
|overcome difficulties
|overcome adversity
|overcome a problem
|overcome resistance
Themes
personal development
|daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
|work
|education
Examples
- She worked hard to overcome her fear of public speaking.
- They managed to overcome many obstacles to finish the project on time.
- With determination, he overcame his financial troubles.
- We can overcome this challenge if we work together.
- He overcame his injury and returned to the team.
Learner examples
- I want to overcome my fear of flying.
- He overcame the problem with help from his friends.
- We can overcome the difficulty together.
- She overcame her shyness at school.
- They overcame the hard test.
Verb
B1
action
2
Defeat an opponent or enemy
To win against another person or group in a fight or competition.
Usage pattern:
to overcome [an enemy/opponent]
Synonyms
beat (Informal; often used in sports and games.)
|
triumph over (More formal or literary, stresses victory.)
Antonyms
lose to (Means to be defeated by someone.)
Collocations
overcome the enemy
|overcome opposition
|overcome an opponent
Themes
sports
|conflict
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The team overcame their rivals in the final match.
- The army overcame the invading forces after a long battle.
- She overcame her opponent in the second round.
Learner examples
- Our team overcame the other team.
- He overcame his opponent in the game.
- They overcame the enemy quickly.
Verb
B2
property
3
Be strongly affected by something
To feel something so strongly that you cannot control yourself.
Usage pattern:
to be overcome by/with [emotion/feeling]
Synonyms
overwhelm (Covers both emotional and physical overpowering, often interchangeable.)
Antonyms
resist (Means to control oneself against strong feelings.)
Collocations
be overcome with emotion
|be overcome by fear
|be overcome with joy
Themes
emotions
Examples
- She was overcome with joy when she heard the news.
- He was overcome by heat and fainted.
- I was overcome with sadness at the sight.
Learner examples
- I was overcome with happiness.
- He was overcome by fear.
- She was overcome with tiredness.
Grammar
Dictionary form
overcome
IPA
GB/ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm/
US/ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm/
Syllables & stress
over - come (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (over)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: overcome
- 3rd Person Singular: over-comes, overcomes
- Present Participle: over-coming, overcoming
- Past: over-came, overcame
- Past Participle: over-came, overcome
Word family
Forms
over-comes
verb
overcomes
verb
over-coming
verb
overcoming
verb
over-came
verb
overcame
verb
Related words
overcomer
noun
Highlights
- Irregular past: over-came, overcame Verb
- Irregular past participle: over-came, overcome Verb
Expressions
be overcome by fear
1/bˈi ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm bˈaɪ fˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
Strongly affected by fear
To feel fear so strongly that it controls you.
Examples
- The hikers were overcome by fear when they saw the bear.
- He was overcome by fear and could not speak.
overcome with emotion
1/ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm wˈɪθ ɪmˈoʊʃən/
fixed phrase
Strongly affected by emotion
To feel an emotion so strongly that it is hard to control yourself.
Examples
- She was overcome with emotion during her wedding vows.
- He stood overcome with emotion as he accepted the award.