succumb
To give in to something you have been fighting against.
succumb in a sentence
- After hours of walking, Leo finally succumbed to tiredness and fell asleep on the bus.
- Even the strictest teachers succumb to laughter when the class hamster escapes across the floor.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to succumb?
- Aresist
- Bsurrender
- Cwithstand
Show the answer
B: surrender. The other three mean the opposite of succumb.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to succumb?
- Ayield
- Bsubmit
- Csurrender
- Dresist
Show the answer
D: resist. The other three mean nearly the same as succumb.
Words that mean something similar
surrender, submit, yield
Words that mean the opposite
resist, withstand
More words about behaviour & manners
- swagger: To walk in a proud, show-off way; or that proud way of walking.
- tactful: Careful not to upset people with what you say or do.
- tamper: To touch or change something you should not, often causing damage.
- tantrum: A sudden burst of angry, childish behaviour.
- traitor: Someone who betrays their friends, team or country.
- uncouth: Rude and bad-mannered.
- unorthodox: Unusual and different from the normal way of doing things.
- unruly: Wild and difficult to control.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test