September 28, 2011 - Word of the Day: overcome

The word "overcome" is similar to "win" or "defeat," but there are many different situations in which the word can be applied.

• The team overcame some difficult problems and eventually had a championship season.
• Nelly overcame an addiction to smoking.
• You must overcome your fear of speaking English in order to practice it in public.
• It was heartening to hear that our friend, Leonard, overcame his struggle against alcohol dependence.

This verb is often used in the passive voice:

• Several of the people were overcome by smoke from the fire and died.
• She was overcome by her emotions and unable to speak.
• These problems have been overcome through hard work and some big sacrifices.
• We're confident that these obstacles can be overcome.

Word of the Day for September 27, 2011: plug

Word of the Day: August 2011

Word of the Day: July 2011