overwonnen

Overwonnen is the past participle of the Dutch verb overwinnen, meaning to overcome or to defeat. It describes an outcome in which a difficulty, obstacle, or opponent has been surmounted. The term is commonly used in everyday Dutch to express personal or collective success in facing challenges.

Etymology and form: The word combines the prefix over- with winnen, “to win.” As a past participle, overwonnen is used with the auxiliary hebben to form perfect tenses. For example: Ik heb de angst overwonnen. In passive constructions it can appear as De angst is overwonnen, indicating that the overcoming has taken place.

Usage notes: The participle can function in compound tenses (hebben overwonnen) and, in a predicative sense, to describe a state that has been achieved. It is used both literally (overcoming a physical obstacle) and figuratively (overcoming fear, grief, or addiction). In sentences with longer modifiers, overwonnen can appear in participial phrases, as in Hij vertelde hoe hij zijn woede overwonnen had.

Examples:

- Ik heb mijn angst overwonnen.

- Zij heeft haar verslaving overwonnen.

- De angst is overwonnen.

See also: Overwinnen, winnen.