conquer

conquer 征服，攻克——攻克

conquer 战胜

con-, 强调。-quer, 追寻，追求，词源同query, question. 词义由追求到战胜。

conquer

conquer: [13] Latin conquīrere originally meant ‘seek something out’. It was a compound verb formed from the intensive prefix com- and quaerere ‘seek’ (source of English query, quest, question, inquire, and require). Bit by bit, ‘searching for something’ slid into ‘acquiring it’, including by force of arms: hence the sense ‘vanquish’, already current in the 13th century. The term Conqueror appears first to have been applied to William I of England around 1300.
=> enquire, inquest, query, quest, question, require

conquer (v.)

c. 1200, cunquearen, from Old French conquerre "conquer, defeat, vanquish," from Vulgar Latin *conquaerere (for Latin conquirere) "to search for, procure by effort, win," from Latin com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + quaerere "to seek, gain" (see query (v.)). Related: Conquered; conquering.

1. They feared that totalitarians might yet conquer the entire world.

他们担心极权主义者会征服整个世界。

2. They became overheated nationalists, militarists, and they were out to conquer.

他们变成了过分狂热的民族主义分子和军国主义分子，并想要征服别国。

3. I was certain that love was quite enough to conquer our differences.

我相信爱足以克服我们的种种差异。

4. Garland tried to appear casual, but he couldn't conquer his unease.

加兰努力装出无所谓的样子，可是他没法克服自己的局促不安。

5. He is having therapy to conquer his phobia.

他在接受治疗以克服自己的恐惧症。

【defeat, beat, overcome, conquer, subdue, overthrow】
这组词都有“征服，战胜”的意思，其区别是：
defeat: 普通用词，多指在战争、比赛、竞选或辩论中战胜对手，侧重胜利的暂时性。
beat: 口笔语均可用，可与defeat换用。
overcome: 多指战胜或克服非物质的东西，如困难和不良习惯等。语气较弱也可指在斗争或竞争中战胜或压倒对方。
conquer: 侧重战胜和控制。书面用词。
subdue: 正式用词，与conquer同义，但强调失败后的臣服状态；也可用作借喻，表克制、压抑感情、欲望等。
overthrow: 指彻底击败对手，使其丧失力量和地位。