Word
conquer
Meanings
To defeat an enemy or take control of a place or people by force.
To overcome a difficult problem, fear, or challenge through effort and determination.
Definition
To conquer means to defeat an opponent or take control of a place by force or strong effort.
To conquer is to win a decisive victory over an enemy, rival, or challenge. It can refer to taking control of a territory or people through military power. More broadly, it also means overcoming something difficult, such as fear, doubt, or a demanding task, through determination and skill.
Examples
- After months of negotiation and pressure, the coalition finally managed to conquer the last pockets of resistance.
- I had to conquer my fear of public speaking before I could lead the presentation with confidence.
- She vowed to conquer the steep learning curve of the new software by practicing every evening.
- They set out to conquer the final stretch of the expedition despite exhaustion and worsening weather.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "conquer" with "win" and say "conquer a game" instead of "win a game" or "beat the game."
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.