German word

besiegen

Pronunciation

IPA/bəˈziːgn̩/

Meaning

  • verbbeat

Example

Er besiegt seinen Rivalen.

He beats his rival.

Illustration for besiegen (beat)

More examples

Er hat seine Zweifel besiegt.

He has overcome his doubts.

Core concept

A person or force wins against a rival, obstacle, illness, or danger and leaves it overcome.

Common phrases

  • einen Rivalen besiegen

    beat a rival

  • seine Zweifel besiegen

    overcome his doubts

Similar words

schlagen: Winning against an opponent through force or skill in a match or dispute.
gewinnen: Gaining victory in a match, contest, or competitive event.
überwinden: Resolving a difficulty or passing beyond an obstacle through effort.

Definition in German

etwas oder jemanden überwinden oder bezwingen, besonders eine Schwierigkeit, Krankheit oder Gefahr

Word origin

Besiegen combines the inseparable prefix be- with German siegen, meaning to win, and forms a transitive verb for winning against something.

Usage tips

  • Besiegen takes a direct accusative object, as in einen Rivalen besiegen, rather than a preposition such as gegen.

Other meanings

  • overcomeverb
  • conquerverb

Opposites

Related words

  • der Siegerwinnernoun
  • der Siegvictorynoun

Word lists with this word