succumb

Succumb is a verb meaning to yield, give way, or be overpowered by something stronger, whether a physical force, a temptation, disease, or pressure. It is typically intransitive and is used with the preposition to: succumb to temptation, succumb to pressure, succumb to illness. In medical contexts, to succumb can mean to die from a disease or condition.

The word derives from Latin succumbere, meaning "to lie under" (sub "under" + cubere "to lie down"), and entered English in the Middle Ages via Old French or directly from Latin. The sense of yielding to force or temptation emerged in later usage.

Usage notes: Succumb conveys a sense of being overpowered or unable to resist, often in a formal or clinical register. It can be used metaphorically, as in "the town succumbed to the siege," or in non-medical contexts to describe surrender. It contrasts with more neutral terms such as yield or give in, which may carry less inevitability.

Related terms include yield, capitulate, surrender, and give in. Common collocations include "succumb to temptation," "succumb to illness," and "succumb to pressure." The expression is usually followed by to, though older or more literary uses may appear with under.