succumb
/səˈkʌm/verb
succumb is spelled S-U-C-C-U-M-B: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, succumb means “To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in succumb?
| Letters | 7: S-U-C-C-U-M-B |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 26,776th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is succumb?
Succumb appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce succumb?
- /səˈkʌm/
Succumb has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-succumb.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of succumb
- succumbs present, singular, he/she/it
- succumbing participle, present
- succumbed participle, past
- succame participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does succumb mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.
succumb to temptation
- 2
To give up, or give in.
- 3
To die.
succumb to pneumonia
- 4
To overwhelm or bring down.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Succumb in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | succomber |
| German | erliegen, nachgeben , unterwerfen, sich ergeben , sterben |
| Portuguese | sucumbir , desistir , morrer |
| Spanish | sucumbir , rendirse, ceder |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does succumb come from?
From Old French succomber, from Latin succumbō.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).