sconfiggere
/skonˈfid.d͡ʒe.re/
To vanquish in Italian is sconfiggere. If unsure, use sconfiggere. Wiktionary also lists sopraffare and vincere.
Meaning: to defeat (someone) (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| sopraffare | /so.prafˈfa.re/ |
| sconfiggere | /skonˈfid.d͡ʒe.re/ |
| vincere | /ˈvin.t͡ʃe.re/ |
The verb is used to express defeating an opponent, often in a competitive or military context.
Which one should you use?
sconfiggere is the most common term for defeating an opponent in a competition or a military enemy in battle. Use sopraffare when the defeat involves overwhelming someone with superior force, emotion or intensity. While vincere means to win, it focuses on the act of winning the contest itself, whereas sconfiggere focuses on the act of defeating the opponent.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word sconfitto is the past participle of sconfiggere and is used to describe someone who has been defeated.
How do you pronounce it?
/skonˈfid.dʒe.re/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The verb sconfiggere has roots in Old Occitan, an extinct Romance language once spoken in parts of Southern France.
- Despite its strong meaning, sopraffare is often used in legal or formal contexts to describe a lack of consent or the use of undue influence.
- The word sconfitto can be used as a noun to describe 'the defeated' as a collective group of people, regardless of the size of the army.
Examples in context
- La squadra di calcio avversaria è stata sconfitta senza pietà.The opposing football team was vanquished mercilessly.
- Ti sconfiggeremo nella partita di domani!We will vanquish you in tomorrow's match!
- L'esercito nemico è stato annientato dopo una feroce battaglia.The enemy army was vanquished after a fierce battle.
- Ho finalmente battuto mio fratello a scacchi!I finally vanquished my brother in chess!
- Siamo riusciti a sopraffare la concorrenza grazie a nuove strategie pubblicitarie.We managed to vanquish the competition thanks to new advertising strategies.
- Abbiamo sconfitto la squadra avversaria.We defeated the opposing team.
- Dobbiamo sconfiggere la nostra paura.We must defeat our fear.
- Il capitano vuole sconfiggere l'esercito nemico.The captain wants to defeat the enemy army.
- Non riuscirai mai a sconfiggere il campione.You will never be able to defeat the champion.
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are talking about a competitive board game.
- ChiaraDevi sconfiggere il mio giocatore preferito.You have to defeat my favorite player.
- AlessandroSconfiggere lui non sarà affatto facile.Defeating him will not be easy at all.
- ChiaraMa tu sei molto più forte.But you are much stronger.
- AlessandroLo spero, ma devo concentrarmi.I hope so, but I must concentrate.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vanquish” translations and entries sopraffare, sconfiggere, vincere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sconfiggere, sopraffare, vincere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
