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

• subdue
• conquer
• dominate
• subject
• defeat
• overcome

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

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are returning as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who are trying to vanquish a demon from a family’s home. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025

Their work wasn’t done yet though; the pair may have vanquished the queens, but still had to finish off the title. —Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Empire and The Foundation must merge their resources and forces with the aid of the ancient android Demerzel to have any chance of vanquishing The Mule and thwarting his insatiable appetite to rule the universe by any means necessary. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025

In 2024, Netanyahu and the military establishment sought to vanquish Hamas’s regional allies, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon. —Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025

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