overcomes
|o-ver-comes|
🇺🇸
/ˌoʊvərˈkʌm/
🇬🇧
/ˌəʊvəˈkʌm/
(overcome)
surpassing challenges
Etymology
'overcome' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'ofercuman', where 'ofer-' meant 'over' and 'cuman' meant 'to come'.
'ofercuman' changed into Middle English 'overcomen' and eventually became the modern English word 'overcome'.
Initially it meant 'to come over' or 'to get the better of', and over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'defeat, overpower, prevail against' and 'to overcome/cope with'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'overcome'.
She overcomes many obstacles in her career.
Verb 2
to succeed in dealing with or defeating a problem, difficulty, or opponent.
The team overcomes a strong opponent in the final match.
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Verb 3
to affect someone very strongly (especially with an emotion or physical sensation), so that they cannot act normally.
Fear overcomes her when she thinks about the accident.
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Verb 4
to prevail over an illness, difficulty, or condition; to recover from or defeat it.
She overcomes the illness after several months of treatment.
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Last updated: 2026/01/13 10:22