What does overcoming mean?
Overcoming is the -ing form of the verb overcome. It means dealing successfully with difficulties, obstacles, challenges, or adverse circumstances, and it can also describe defeating a person or force that stands in your way. The word often presents struggle as productive or successful: people overcome fear, adversity, technical problems, or competing teams. It is common in formal and informal English, although “overcome” is generally preferred when the action is viewed as completed or as a past event. In expressions such as “overcoming adversity,” the word carries an encouraging and often aspirational tone. The related form “overcomer” can refer to someone who has conquered a difficulty, but it is less common in everyday usage.
verbTo succeed in dealing with or overcoming a difficulty, challenge, obstacle, or adverse circumstance. It can also mean to defeat someone or something that opposes you.
- To deal successfully with a difficulty, challenge, obstacle, or adverse situation.
- To defeat or gain control over something or someone that opposes you.
"Despite the delays, the team overcame the technical problems and completed the project on time."
"The new treatment helped patients overcome the most serious effects of the illness."
"The champion overcame a determined challenge from her opponent in the final set."
Overcoming suggests not merely surviving a difficulty but gaining the upper hand over it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does overcoming come from?
The word comes from the Old English compound ofercuman, formed from ofer- “over” and cuman “to come.” It originally meant to come upon or overpower an opposing person or force. Modern English developed the familiar forms overcome, overcomes, and overcame, with overcoming serving as the present-participle and -ing form.
Related word forms
How overcoming is actually used
Overcoming is generally neutral and positive when it refers to meeting a difficulty, while it can imply successful struggle when used of defeating an opponent or adversary.
Easily confused with overcoming
Overcome is the standard infinitive, while overcoming is its present-participle or -ing form, as in “She is overcoming her fears.”