overcome

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb win a victory over
  2. verb get on top of; deal with successfully
  3. verb overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli

Etymology

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.

In classic literature

Synonyms

get the better of, defeat

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