Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
overcome
o‧ver‧come W3 /ˌəʊvəˈkʌm $ ˌoʊvər-/ verb (past tense overcame /-ˈkeɪm/, past participle overcome) [transitive]
[Language: Old English; Origin: ofercuman]
1. to successfully control a feeling or problem that prevents you from achieving something:
• He struggled to overcome his shyness.
• Her financial problems could no longer be overcome.
2. [usually passive] if smoke or gas overcomes someone, they become extremely sick or unconscious because they breathe it:
• The engineer was working on the freezer when he was overcome by gas.
3. if an emotion overcomes someone, they cannot behave normally because they feel the emotion so strongly
overcome with
• Charles was overcome with grief.
4. to fight and win against someone or something SYN defeat:
• Australia overcame the Netherlands 2–1.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
overcome
over·come[overcomeovercomesovercameovercoming] [ˌəʊvəˈkʌm] [ˌoʊvərˈkʌm]verb(over·came [ˌəʊvəˈkeɪm]; [ˌoʊvərˈkeɪm]over·come)
1. ~ sth to succeed in dealing with or controlling a problem that has been preventing you from achieving sth
• She overcame injury to win the Olympic gold medal.
• The two parties managed to overcome their differences on the issue.
• He finally managed to overcome his fear of flying
• He overcame a strong temptation to run away.
2. ~ sb/sth to defeat sb
• In the final game Sweden easily overcame France.
3. usually passive ~ sb to be extremely strongly affected by sth
Syn: overwhelm
• Her parents were overcome with grief at the funeral.
• Overcome by curiosity, the boy looked through the window.
• The dead woman had been overcome by smoke.
Word Origin:
Old English ofercuman (see over-, come).
Thesaurus:
overcome verb T
• She overcame her fear of flying.
control • • bring/get/keep sth under control • • get over sth • |informal beat • |written conquer •
overcome/control/get over/beat/conquer a problem
bring/get/keep a problem under control
overcome/control/get over/conquer a fear
overcome/get over a difficulty/hurdle
Example Bank:
• He was suddenly overcome with remorse for the harm he had done.
• Several firefighters had been overcome by smoke and fumes.
• She felt almost overcome by a tide of relief.
• She felt quite overcome by their kindness.
• The officers on duty were visibly overcome, many of them in tears.
• Therapy helped her overcome her fear.
• These problems were never entirely overcome.
• methods designed to overcome these problems
• In the final, Sweden easily overcame France.
• She overcame strong opposition to take the title.
• There are at least two major obstacles that must be overcome.
• They managed to overcome their differences on the issue.
• This could be the year that he finally overcomes his great rival and clinches the championship.
• This problem is largely overcome by printing out a new set of data.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
overcome
overcome (UNABLE TO ACT) /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/ US /ˌoʊ.vɚ-/
verb [T usually passive] overcame, overcome
to prevent someone from being able to act or think in the usual way:
They were overcome by fumes from the fire and had to be carried out of their houses.
Overcome with/by emotion, she found herself unable to speak for a few minutes.
overcome (DEAL WITH) /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/ US /ˌoʊ.vɚ-/
verb [I or T] overcame, overcome
to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something:
Juventus overcame Ajax in a thrilling match.
to overcome difficulties/obstacles/problems/resistance
Eventually she managed to overcome her shyness in class.
Twenty thousand demonstrators sang "We shall overcome" as they marched through Washington today.
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
overcome
[o͟ʊvə(r)kʌ̱m]
overcomes, overcoming, overcame
(The form overcome is used in the present tense and is also the past participle.)
1) VERB If you overcome a problem or a feeling, you successfully deal with it and control it.
[V n] Molly had fought and overcome her fear of flying...
[V n] Find a way to overcome your difficulties.
2) VERB If you are overcome by a feeling or event, it is so strong or has such a strong effect that you cannot think clearly.
[be V-ed] The night before the test I was overcome by fear and despair...
[V n] A dizziness overcame him, blurring his vision.
Syn:
overwhelm
3) VERB: usu passive If you are overcome by smoke or a poisonous gas, you become very ill or die from breathing it in.
[be V-ed] The residents were trying to escape from the fire but were overcome by smoke.