Dictionary

succumb en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /səˈkʌm/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub- Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-der. Proto-Italic *kumbō Latin *cumbō Latin succumbere Old French succomberbor. English succumb From Old French succomber, from Latin succumbō.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.
   • Thai culture as in many other Asian cultures, is succumbing to the influence of westernization.
   • succumb to temptation
   • Jones was called into action to deny Ruiz with a fine tackle before succumbing to his injury. 2011 December 21, Tom Rostance, “Fulham 0 - 5 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
   • Sadly, the independent bookshop that occupied a room in the southern station building has succumbed to closure, due to the pandemic. 2022 January 12, Paul Bigland, “Fab Four: the nation's finest stations: Grange-over-Sands”, in RAIL, number 948, page 28:
   • succumb under misfortunes
2. (intransitive) To give up, or give in.
3. (euphemistic, intransitive) To die.
   • Upon returning to his flat, he discovered much to his dismay, that his ficus benjamina had succumbed. 1976 December 25, “Untitled cartoon”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 26, page 5:
   • succumb to pneumonia
4. (transitive) To overwhelm or bring down.
   • He has not allowed the burn and his subsequent injury to succumb him, but to make him forever different but also, I think, forever better. 2012, Scott M. Garrett, Forever Different, →ISBN:
   • Known to be genuinely cheerful, every few months an unseen shadow would nevertheless succumb him, delivering a two-week melancholic stew of resentment and depression. 2015, David Marlett, Fortunate Son: A Novel of the Greatest Trial in Irish History, →ISBN:
   • She had run away with Chiwi to San Jose when he was a year and half old; only to succumb him to the abuse of his aunt. 2014, Gideon C Mekwunye, Tear Drops - Part 2, →ISBN, page 455:

Forms

Deriveds

succumber · unsuccumbing

Translations (85)

cs podlehnout (to give up, or give in) · hu meghal (to die) · de sich ergeben (to give up, or give in) · it soccombere (to die) · pl umrzeć (to die) · el υποκύπτω (to give up, or give in) · la succumbō (to give up, or give in) · nb gi opp ånden (to die) · fi antaa periksi (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · cmn 死 (to die) · es sucumbir (to die) · la succumbō (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · pt morrer (to die) · fr succomber (to give up, or give in) · nb gi opp (to give up, or give in) · eo venkiĝi (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · nb gi etter (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · ru уступа́ть (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · hu belehal (to die) · el υποκύπτω (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · ka დანებება (to give up, or give in) · cmn 屈服 (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · sv dö (to die) · bg отстъпвам (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · fr succomber (to die) · bg предавам се (to give up, or give in) · ro a se da bătut (to give up, or give in) · cs podlehnout (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · de nachgeben (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · te లొంగు (to give up, or give in) · es ceder (to give up, or give in) · pt sucumbir (to die) · ro sucomba (to die) · fr succomber (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · pt sucumbir (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · de überwältigen (to overwhelm) · nl opgeven (to give up, or give in) · ru уступа́ть (to give up, or give in) · hu alulmarad (to give up, or give in) · ru умирать (to die) · it soccombere (to give up, or give in) · no gi etter (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · pl ulec (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · el υποκύπτω (to die) · yue 屈服 (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · pt sucumbir (to give up, or give in) · pl przytłoczyć (to overwhelm) · fi antautua (to give up, or give in) · fi menehtyä (to die) · es sucumbir (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · mi auheke (to give up, or give in) · de unterwerfen (to give up, or give in) · nl bezwijken (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · es sucumbir (to give up, or give in) · de nachgeben (to give up, or give in) · de unterwerfen (to overwhelm) · ro ceda (to give up, or give in) · bg умирам (to die) · de sterben (to die) · sl podleči (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · cmn 屈從 /屈从 (to give up, or give in) · bg поддавам се (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · nl bezwijken (to die) · pt desistir (to give up, or give in) · ka დანებება (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · te లొంగు (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · sl podleči (to die) · nb gi seg (to give up, or give in) · nb føye seg (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · hu elbukik (to give up, or give in) · de erliegen (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · it arrendersi (to give up, or give in) · fi antaa periksi (to give up, or give in) · hu megadja magát (to give up, or give in) · nl overweldigen (to overwhelm) · pl ulec (to give up, or give in) · cs podlehnout (to die) · es rendirse (to give up, or give in) · hu elhuny (to die) · de erliegen (to die) · de den Geist aufgeben (to die) · hu enged (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · mi auheke (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · ro sucomba (to yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire) · yue 屈從 /屈从 (to give up, or give in)