Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense succumbs, present participle succumbing, past tense, past participle succumbed
1. verb
If you succumb to temptation or pressure, you do something that you want to do, or that other people want you to do, although you feel it might be wrong.
[formal]
Don't succumb to the temptation to have just one biscuit. [VERB + to]
The Minister said his country would never succumb to pressure. [VERB + to]
Synonyms: surrender (to), yield (to), submit (to), give in (to) More Synonyms of succumb
2. verb
If you succumb to an illness, you become affected by it or die from it.
[formal]
A few years later, Katya succumbed to cancer in London. [VERBto noun]
I was determined not to succumb to the virus. [VERBto noun]
Synonyms: catch, contract, fall victim to, die from More Synonyms of succumb
succumb in British English
(səˈkʌm)
verb(intransitive; often foll byto)
1.
to give way in face of the overwhelming force (of) or desire (for)
2.
to be fatally overwhelmed (by disease, old age, etc); die (of)
Derived forms
succumber (sucˈcumber)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Latin succumbere to be overcome, from sub- + -cumbere from cubāre to lie down
succumb in American English
(səˈkʌm)
verb intransitive
1.
to give way (to); yield; submit
to succumb to persuasion
2.
to die
to succumb to a plague
SIMILAR WORDS: yield
Word origin
L succumbere < sub-, sub- + cumbere, nasalized form of cubare, to lie: see cube1
Examples of 'succumb' in a sentence
succumb
Surely she has also succumbed to pressure?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The man who is almost eerily optimistic in the face of any setback finally succumbed.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Ireland was the first eurozone country to succumb to the slump.
The Sun (2008)
How do these people survive without succumbing to lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Strong partnerships can withstand these challenges but shaky ones rapidly succumb to pressure.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Farmers have been succumbing to financial pressures in huge numbers.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Famous people succumb to their own fame.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Many churches and church members have succumbed to one of these scams.
Christianity Today (2000)
Companies typically succumb to one of three broad weakest link scenarios.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The country has succumbed to violence.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Has he succumbed to the pressure?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He received another standing ovation when he finally succumbed, the warmth evident yet again.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
People can succumb very easily to these Etonian attitudes.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
For one to succumb in such fashion was careless, for the other to follow almost criminal.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The strong bond that forms between owner and pet means that when one succumbs to a serious illness the other may become very depressed.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
And he is quick to warn any young wannabe player just how dangerous it can be to succumb to peer pressure and keep dodgy company.
The Sun (2012)
He finally succumbed to pneumonia.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He doesn't succumb to pressure.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I'm not interested in succumbing to the pressure.
The Sun (2012)
Exercise: At this time of year many people succumb to the blues.
The Sun (2010)
A military source said: 'It is a case of the people succumbing to the training that they were doing.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
succumb
British English: succumb VERB
If you succumb to temptation or pressure, you do something that you want to do, or that other people want you to do, although you feel it might be wrong.
He would never succumb to pressure.
American English: succumb
Brazilian Portuguese: sucumbir
Chinese: > 屈服向诱惑、压力
European Spanish: sucumbir
French: succomber
German: sich beugen
Italian: soccombere
Japanese: 負ける
Korean: 굴복하다
European Portuguese: sucumbir
Latin American Spanish: sucumbir
Chinese translation of 'succumb'
succumb
(səˈkʌm) (frm)
vi
to succumb (to) (to temptation) 抵挡(擋)不住 (dǐdǎng bùzhù)
to succumb to illness被疾病压(壓)垮 (bèi jíbìng yākuǎ)
1 (verb)
Don't succumb to the temptation to put your work away before it's finished.
Synonyms
surrender (to)
yield (to)
submit (to)
give in (to)
give way (to)
go under (to)
cave in (to) (informal)
capitulate (to)
knuckle under (to)
Opposites
beat
,
master
,
overcome
,
conquer
,
rise above
,
triumph over
,
get the better of
,
surmount
2 (verb)
Definition
to die of (a disease)
I was determined not to succumb to the virus.
Synonyms
catch
The more stress you are under, the more likely you are to catch a cold.
contract
Norton had contracted tuberculosis and been sent off to a sanatorium.
fall victim to
die from
get
When I was five I got measles.
develop
He developed pneumonia after a bout of flu.
pick up
die of
fall ill with
become infected by
come or go down with
cark it from (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of contract
Definition
to become affected by (an illness)
Norton had contracted tuberculosis and been sent off to a sanatorium.