Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day Podcast: "Succumb"

Episode Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Peter Sokolowski

Overview

This episode centers on the verb “succumb.” Peter Sokolowski unpacks its meaning, etymology, and usage in both serious and lighthearted contexts, enriching listeners’ vocabularies with practical examples and fascinating word history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Definition and Usage of “Succumb”

• Meaning: To yield or stop resisting to something, often a pressure or emotion; in medical contexts, it can also mean dying from injury or disease.

  • “Succumbing is about yielding to something. Someone who succumbs to a pressure or emotion stops trying to resist that pressure or emotion.” (00:42)
  • “Someone who succumbs to an injury or disease dies because of that injury or disease.” (00:47)

• Common Usage:

  • The verb is most frequently followed by “to.”
  • Examples include succumbing to temptation, blight, or sleep.
  • Often applied to faults, foibles, or demise but also in positive situations like falling asleep.

Example in Context

• Peter provides a sample sentence for context:

  • “Occasionally Dope Girls does succumb to style over substance, as if it doesn't quite have the confidence to let its big, bold narrative unfold with any bells and whistles.” (00:55)

• He encourages listeners to imagine:

  • “Picture yourself serenely succumbing to sleep.” (01:09)

Etymology and Related Words

• Etymological Roots:

  • Both “succumb” and “recumbent” trace back to the Latin verb cumbere, meaning “to lie down.”
  • “While recumbency is typically literal, succumbing is about figuratively lying down before something, yielding to it, ceasing to resist it.” (01:18)

• Memorable Explanation:

  • Succumb is a figurative “lying down,” often before an emotional or external force; recumbent is literally lying down.

Applications: Positive and Negative

• “The word is most often used with regard to faults and foibles and demise. People succumb to temptation. Plants succumb to blight.” (01:31)
• “But the word can be applied in happier circumstances, too, as when one succumbs to sleep in a quiet spot on a sunny afternoon.” (01:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Definition:

  • “Succumbing is about yielding to something. Someone who succumbs to a pressure or emotion stops trying to resist that pressure or emotion.” – Peter Sokolowski (00:42)

• On Etymology:

  • “Both succumb and recumbent trace back to cumbere, a Latin verb meaning to lie down.” – Peter Sokolowski (01:14)

• On Usage Variety:

  • “The word is most often used with regard to faults and foibles and demise…But the word can be applied in happier circumstances, too, as when one succumbs to sleep in a quiet spot on a sunny afternoon.” – Peter Sokolowski (01:31, 01:37)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:42: Introduction of the word “succumb,” spelling, and primary definition
• 00:55: Example sentence in a cultural context
• 01:09: Visualization of “succumbing to sleep”
• 01:14: Etymology and relationship to “recumbent”
• 01:31: Typical (negative) and positive uses of “succumb”

Summary

Succumb is a versatile verb that means to yield or give way to pressures, temptations, or, in medical usage, causes of death. Its roots trace back to Latin, sharing ancestry with “recumbent,” which enriches its meaning of metaphorical surrender or “lying down” before a force. Most often, one “succumbs to” temptations, weaknesses, or ailments, but surrendering to a pleasant sleep is also a gentle, positive use. By exploring its etymology, usage, and meaning, today’s Word of the Day offers listeners new appreciation for an evocative, history-rich verb.