Synonyms of prevailing

prevailing 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in conventional

accepted, used, or practiced by most people

the principal disagrees with the prevailing attitude toward corporal punishment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• conventional
• usual
• current
• customary
• prevalent
• standard
• popular
• going
• average
• normal
• stock
• widespread
• common
• ordinary
• universal
• everyday
• regular
• routine
• ubiquitous
• in
• fashionable
• epidemic
• accustomed
• wonted
• modish
• stylish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unusual
• extraordinary
• unpopular
• abnormal
• exceptional
• uncommon
• unconventional
• nonstandard

2

as in general

held by or applicable to a majority of the people

the prevailing custom here is to leave one's doors unlocked

Synonyms & Similar Words

• general
• overall
• public
• popular
• predominant
• unanimous
• common
• majority
• present
• current
• usual
• received
• ruling
• dominant
• vulgar
• typical
• contemporary
• prevalent
• universal
• widespread
• familiar
• characteristic
• pop
• pervasive
• communal
• preponderant
• everyday
• rife
• well-known
• shared
• household
• pandemic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• uncommon
• unusual
• unknown
• strange
• special
• rare
• individual
• peculiar
• unique
• unpopular
• distinctive
• separate
• personal
• private
• idiosyncratic
• especial
• singular
• nonpublic

prevailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prevail

1

as in winning

to achieve victory (as in a contest)

we shall prevail despite the overwhelming odds

Synonyms & Similar Words

• winning
• triumphing
• succeeding
• overcoming
• conquering
• contending
• sweeping
• kicking butt
• carrying the day
• squeaking
• vying
• romping
• squeezing
• breezing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• losing
• failing
• collapsing
• struggling
• folding
• declining
• waning
• slipping
• washing out
• flopping
• floundering
• slumping

2

as in surviving

to continue to operate or to meet one's needs

a custom that still prevails in many areas of Africa

Synonyms & Similar Words

• surviving
• lasting
• persisting
• remaining
• continuing
• holding out
• going
• keeping up
• enduring
• holding up
• managing
• coping
• persevering
• lingering
• abiding
• stretching
• hanging in
• carrying on
• getting along
• getting on
• making out
• faring
• hanging on
• drawing out
• holding on
• running on
• getting by
• bearing up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• failing
• going out
• running out
• dying
• breaking
• giving out
• stopping
• collapsing
• crashing
• expiring
• stalling
• breaking down
• cutting out
• waning
• fizzling
• petering (out)
• running down
• conking (out)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of prevailing

Adjective

The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026

Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy. — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026

Harvesting seed nearby is a way to get plants that are genetically adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions and are more likely to thrive. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026

In the northern United States, enjoying the starry winter sky requires protection against the prevailing low temperatures. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026

The monthly stochastic oscillator remains in overbought territory ( > 80%), underscoring the strength of the prevailing bullish trend rather than signaling exhaustion. — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025

As municipal pools became mixed-gender in the 1920s and ’30s, swimming naked no longer fit prevailing notions of decency. — Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025

Dissent is nothing more than the expression of an opinion that varies from the prevailing or traditional view or the position held by those in power. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025

Verb

Stadium worker wages Sherman said the team’s commitment also includes providing prevailing wages to the stadium operations workers, including concessions and custodial workers. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026

Carney was known as a diplomat who not only spoke his mind, but was unafraid to challenge prevailing assumptions. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026

The prevailing idea is that summer break is a holdover from days when children were needed to help out on farms in rural communities. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026

The defendants also argue that Banks cannot show a probability of prevailing on her state law claims. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026

Initially, Cao assumed that the deterioration of particular proteins and protein networks was responsible for aging, in line with the prevailing model. — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

Pew also surveyed public opinion about Israel in thirty-five other countries and found broadly negative attitudes toward Israel prevailing. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

This figure, higher than prevailing estimates, suggests more oil is reaching markets, explaining the surprisingly muted crude price spikes despite ongoing conflicts. — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Across three seasons of TV, six feature-length films, and multiple DVD extras, the prevailing theme is that these guys love one another. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026