besiegen
Translation
to defeat, to conquer, to vanquish, to overcome
Examples
Die Mannschaft hat den Gegner besiegt.
The team defeated the opponent.
Sie hat ihre Krankheit besiegt.
She conquered her illness.
Es ist schwer, alte Gewohnheiten zu besiegen.
It is hard to overcome old habits.
Grammar Patterns
((sb./sth.)) to defeat sb./sth. He defeated his opponent.
Similar Words
Synonyms: schlagen, gewinnen gegen, überwinden; Antonyms: verlieren, unterliegen
Etymology
From prefix 'be-' + 'Sieg' (victory) + '-en'. It means to apply a victory over someone.
Memory Tips
The core of the word is 'Sieg' (victory). The prefix 'be-' often makes a verb transitive, so you are doing the action *to* someone. You are 'be-victory-ing' them.