overcome
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: ō′vər-kŭm′
ipa: /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/
ipa: /ˌoʊ.vəɹˈkʌm/
ipa: /ˌəʉ.vəˈkɐm/
ipa: /ˌɐʉ.vɐˈkɐm/
ipa: /ˌo.vəɹˈkʌm/
ipa: /ˌoː.vəʳˈkəm/
rhymes: -ʌm
Forms: form: overcomes
form: overcoming
form: overcame
form: overcome
form: o'ercome
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.
Senses: examples: text: But sith this wretched woman ouercome / Of anguish, rather then of crime hath beene,
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 58:
text: By and by fumes of brandy began to fill the air, and climb to where I lay, overcoming the mouldy smell of decayed wood and the dampness of the green walls.
ref: [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:
text: In the early days troubles were experienced with oscillation from the rod drive and with the transformers, but were overcome later, and these machines performed useful service until superseded by more modern locomotives less costly in maintenance.
ref: 1960 December, Cecil J. Allen, “Operating a mountain main line: the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 743:
glosses: To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.
examples: text: Hee that ouercommeth, the same shalbe clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life, but I will confesse his name before my Father, and before his Angels.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 3:5:
text: We shall overcome because Carlyle is right; "no lie can live forever".
ref: 1968, Martin Luther King Jr., (Please provide the book title or journal name):
text: Preacher: Maintain, my brothers and sisters--we have faced adversity, and overcome. This is but a test!
Preacher: Remember the pillars of strength that hold our people high. Show the galaxy our resolve!
ref: 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel, Docking Bay E24 (Kite's Nest: Pillars of Strength):
glosses: To prevail.
glosses: To recover from (a difficulty), to get over.
examples: text: to overcome enemies in battle
text: Ther with all cam kyng Arthur but with a fewe peple and slewe on the lyfte hand and on the ryght hand that wel nyhe ther escaped no man / but alle were slayne to the nombre of xxx M / And whan the bataille was all ended the kynge kneled doune and thanked god mekely / and thenne he sente for the quene and soone she was come / and she maade grete Ioye of the ouercomynge of that bataille
ref: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “iij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book IV:
text: They were faire Ladies, till they fondly ſtriu’d / With th’Heliconian maides for mayſtery; / Of whom they ouer-comen, were depriu’d / Of their proud beautie, and th’one moyity / Transform’d to fiſh, for their bold ſurquedry, / But th’vpper halfe their hew retayned ſtill, / And their ſweet skill in wonted melody; / Which euer after they abuſd to ill, / T’allure weake traueillers, whom gotten they did kill.
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 31, pages 370–371:
text: That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired. And if the arts of humbleness failed him, he overcame you by sheer impudence.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
synonyms: vanquish
glosses: To win against or prevail over in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
examples: text: I was overcome with anger.
text: And overcome us like a summer's cloud.
ref: c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:
synonyms: overtake
glosses: To come or pass over; to spread over.
examples: text: A Crop so plenteous, as the Land to load,
O'ercome the crowded Barns
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: Th' unfallow'd Glebe Yearly o'ercomes the Granaries with Store Of Golden Wheat.
ref: 1708, [John Philips], “(please specify the page)”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To overflow; to surcharge.
Derived terms: overcomable
overcomeable
overcomer
overcomingly
unovercome