Conquer — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈkäŋ-kər/ con·quer

Meaning & Definition of Conquer

Conquer (verb)

  1. to gain or acquire by force of arms, subjugate
  2. to overcome by force of arms, vanquish
  3. to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition

Conquer (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring under one's control by force of arms

    "before his final defeat, Napoléon had managed to conquer much of Europe"

    similar: dominate, overpower, pacify, subdue, subject, subjugate, subordinate, vanquish
    related: annihilate, beat, clobber, crush, defeat, drub, lick, mow (down), overcome, prevail (over), reduce, rout, skunk, smash, thrash, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip, enslave, break, clamp down (on), crack down (on), put down, quash, quell, repress, silence, smother, snuff (out), squash, squelch, suppress
    near: discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter

  2. to achieve a victory over

    "love conquers all, or so romance novels would have us believe"

    similar: beat, best, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, take, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

  3. to achieve victory (as in a contest)

    "a coach who demands that his team conquer, whatever the cost"

    similar: prevail, triumph, win, carry the day, kick butt
    related: overcome, sweep, squeak, squeeze, contend, vie, succeed, breeze, romp
    opposite: lose
    near: collapse, fail, flop, fold, wash out, flounder, struggle, decline, slip, slump, wane

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Conquer

The most common words with a similar meaning to Conquer:

British: do down
dominate, overpower, pacify, subdue, subject, subjugate, subordinate, vanquish, beat, best, defeat, dispatch, get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, surmount, take, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, prevail, triumph, win, get the better of, knock for a loop, carry the day, kick butt

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Conquer

Words with the opposite meaning of Conquer:

lose (to), lose

Related Words for Conquer

annihilate, clobber, crush, drub, mow (down), reduce, rout, smash, thrash, trounce, wallop, whip, enslave, break, clamp down (on), crack down (on), put down, quash, quell, repress, silence, smother, snuff (out), squash, squelch, suppress, sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip

Near Antonyms of Conquer

discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, manumit, release, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter, fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out, flounder, struggle, decline, slip, slump, wane

Word Forms of Conquer

Inflections: conquered, conquering

Origin & Etymology of Conquer

Middle English, to acquire, conquer, from Anglo-French conquerre, from Vulgar Latin *conquaerere, alteration of Latin conquirere to search for, collect, from com- + quaerere to ask, search

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Conquer

Words & Phrases Containing Conquer

divide and conquer

Frequently Asked Questions about Conquer

What does "Conquer" mean?

"Conquer" means to gain or acquire by force of arms, subjugate. As a verb, it is defined as: to gain or acquire by force of arms, subjugate. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Conquer"?

Other words for "Conquer" include dominate, overpower, pacify, subdue, subject, subjugate, subordinate and vanquish. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Conquer" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Conquer"?

There are 110 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Conquer". Common alternatives include dominate, overpower, pacify, subdue, subject, subjugate, subordinate, vanquish, beat and best.

What is the opposite of "Conquer"?

Antonyms of "Conquer" include lose (to) and lose. Near antonyms include discharge, emancipate, enfranchise and free.

How do you use "Conquer" in a sentence?

Examples of "Conquer" in a sentence: "before his final defeat, Napoléon had managed to conquer much of Europe"; "love conquers all, or so romance novels would have us believe"; "a coach who demands that his team conquer, whatever the cost".

Is "Conquer" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Conquer" is a verb.

Is "Conquer" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Conquer" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Conquer"?

"Conquer" is pronounced /ˈkäŋ-kər/ and divided into syllables as con·quer.