Meaning & use
succumbed
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“succumbed” is a form of “succumb”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
stopped resisting something harmful or difficult; gave in to pressure, illness, or temptation.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'to': succumbed to the illness.
Patterns
- succumb to something
- succumb to pressure
- succumb to an illness
After months of fighting the infection, he finally succumbed to it.
She succumbed to the temptation and ate the last piece of cake.
Many small businesses succumbed to the economic downturn.
verbintransitiveformal
died from a disease or injury, especially after a long struggle.
Grammar: Often used with 'to' and a cause: succumbed to cancer.
Patterns
- succumb to a disease
- succumb to injuries
The patient succumbed to pneumonia last week.
He succumbed to his injuries after the accident.
Word forms
| base form | succumb |
|---|---|
| third person singular | succumbs |
| past tense | succumbed |
| past participle | succumbed |
| present participle | succumbing |
Common combinations
- succumb to pressure
- The manager succumbed to pressure and changed the policy.
- succumb to temptation
- He tried to diet but succumbed to temptation at the party.
- succumb to illness
- She succumbed to illness after a long battle.
- finally succumb
- The old tree finally succumbed to the storm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- yield
- Often used for giving in to pressure or persuasion, but can also mean producing a result.
- give in
- More informal and common in everyday speech; it usually implies stopping resistance after a struggle.
- die
- A direct and neutral word for death; 'succumb' is more formal and often suggests a gradual process.
Opposites
Word family
- succumbing verb
- Present participle of 'succumb'; used in continuous tenses.
Commonly confused: succumbed or succinct?
succumbed vs succinct
Sounds similar but means 'expressed clearly and briefly'.
Practice
Choose the correct preposition: 'After a long struggle, he succumbed ___ the disease.'
Choose one answer.
The verb 'succumb' is followed by 'to' when indicating what caused the giving in or death. 'With', 'by', and 'from' do not collocate with 'succumb' in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “succumbed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.