overpower
verbUK /əʊvəˈpaʊə/ · US /oʊ.vɚˈpaʊ̯.ɚ/
Etymology From over- + power.
1
To subdue someone by superior force.
- We overpowered the opposing army within a couple of hours.
- Amidst all the chaos, Großer Kurfürst slows up and strikes her colors, her crew having had enough, and have^([sic]) overpowered the officers - willing to fight, but not willing to commit suicide.2018 October 17, Drachinifel, 25:13 from the start, in Last Ride of the High Seas Fleet - Battle of Texel 1918, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2022:
2
To excel or exceed in power; to cause to yield; to subdue.
- Bright light overpowers the eyes.
- But the shrill wild cry of the heron overpowered the cries of all the other birds, whom it seemed to terrify; they were silent the moment they heard it, and a silence followed which made the interruption doubly unpleasant.1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 86:
3
To render imperceptible by means of greater strength, intensity, etc.
- The dish was OK, but the garlic slightly overpowered the herbs.
- Although surprisingly moist, thanks to the stock (indeed, the contrast between the crisp exterior and the squidgy middle is horribly moreish), the combination of parsley, garlic and breadcrumbs reminds me of a very fancy loaf of garlic bread – and all but overpowers the sweet flavour of the cashews.2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 20 Dec 2021:
4
Video games To make excessively powerful.
- Rather than overpowering the characters or giving them some kind of slow-mo adrenalin abilities, Bloody Days does the most unexpected thing: it introduces a genuinely smart tactical system.2017 March 10, Adam Smith, “Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days is smarter than you’d think”, in Rock Paper Shotgun, archived from the original on 23 Jan 2022:
- Derived terms
- overpowerable, overpowered, overpowerer, overpowering