vanquish

verb

van·​quish ˈvaŋ-kwish  ˈvan- 

vanquished; vanquishing; vanquishes

transitive verb

1

: to overcome in battle : subdue completely

2

: to defeat in a conflict or contest

3

: to gain mastery over (an emotion, passion, or temptation)

vanquish your fear

vanquishable

ˈvaŋ-kwi-shə-bəl 

ˈvan-

adjective

vanquisher noun

Synonyms

• conquer
• dominate
• overpower
• pacify
• subdue
• subject
• subjugate
• subordinate

Choose the Right Synonym for vanquish

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy.

conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of vanquish in a Sentence

They were vanquished in battle.

vanquished nation after nation in his relentless conquest of Europe

Recent Examples on the Web

Those who dislike her are jealous, those who disagree with her are evil, and those who try to stop her are vanquished—righteously. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025

Four years later, the Bronx Democratic machine set out to vanquish Gerena-Valentin by gerrymandering his apartment out of the district and red-baiting him. —Cary Goodman, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2025

Notre Dame, at long last, has vanquished its 31-year drought without a major bowl victory. —Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025

But Younger’s macaroni and cheese, at least, has already vanquished many doubters to become a holiday favorite far and wide. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English venquishen, borrowed from Anglo-French venquis-, extended stem of veintre, vaincre "to defeat, conquer," going back to Latin vincere — more at victor

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

vanquish

verb

van·​quish ˈvaŋ-kwish  ˈvan- 

: to defeat and subdue completely

vanquisher noun