Synonyms

conquer

American

[kong-ker] / ˈkɒŋ kər /

verb (used with object)

to acquire by force of arms; win in war.

to conquer a foreign land.
to overcome by force; subdue.

to conquer an enemy.

Synonyms:

subjugate, overthrow, overpower, vanquish
to gain, win, or obtain by effort, personal appeal, etc..

conquer the hearts of his audience.
to gain a victory over; surmount; master; overcome.

to conquer disease and poverty; to conquer one's fear.

verb (used without object)

to be victorious; make conquests; gain the victory.

Despite their differences, their love will conquer.

conquer British

/ ˈkɒŋkə /

verb

to overcome (an enemy, army, etc); defeat
to overcome (an obstacle, feeling, desire, etc); surmount
(tr) to gain possession or control of by or as if by force or war; win
(tr) to gain the love, sympathy, etc, of (someone) by seduction or force of personality

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conquer Idioms

see divide and conquer.

Synonym Usage

See defeat.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of conquer

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English conqueren, from Anglo-French conquerir, Old French conquerre, from Vulgar Latin conquērere (unrecorded) “to acquire,” from Latin conquīrere “to seek out”; see con-, query

Explanation

To conquer is to defeat someone or something, usually with force, like army troops that conquer enemy territory, or your lunchtime hunger which you conquer with a sandwich and cup of soup. To correctly pronounce conquer, accent the first syllable: "CON-kur." It comes from the Old French word conquerre, meaning "defeat, vanquish." Use conquer to show you've gained control over something, like doing breathing exercises as the airplane takes off to help you conquer your fear of flying. You'll hear people say they've conquered Mount McKinley, or the Appalachian Trail. It means they've hiked and climbed the whole route, not declared the place theirs alone.

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Vocabulary lists containing conquer

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John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"If you do conquer all the technical hurdles, there's still the economic aspect, and it's just not financially reasonable at this point in time," Kathleen Curlee, a space analyst at Georgetown University, told AFP.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

Our tech overlords are planning for conscious AI to conquer the cosmos.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

For a woman who Hollywood exiles into the Nevada desert, only for her to build an empire and return to Los Angeles to conquer the industry, besting cancer should be a cinch.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

What about the quest for supremacy, the seemingly eternal human desire to conquer the world?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

“The Trials are a test of my mettle. I might not know what's in store, but must be prepared anyway. I must conquer my weaknesses and exploit competitors’ weaknesses.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023