conquest

/ˈkɒŋkwest/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːŋkwest/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkän-ˌkwest ˈkäŋ-; ˈkäŋ-kwəst/ (ame, mw)

conquest — noun

  • conquestsingular
  • conquestsplural

1. The act of gaining power over a place or overcoming a hard situation through str

1.名詞B2
釋義

The act of gaining power over a place or overcoming a hard situation through strength or determination.

例句

Wei Chen studied the Roman conquest of Britain for his final history exam.

conquest of [place] for military takeover

Amara described her team's conquest of the championship title as the highlight of the season.

conquest of [title/achievement] for non-military effort

同義詞
  • invasion

    focuses on the act of entering with force, not the ongoing control afterwards

  • takeover

    broader; can be used for companies or governments, not just military

  • subjugation

    more formal and emphasizes the act of bringing under complete control

反義詞
  • surrender

    the act of giving up control rather than taking it

  • liberation

    freeing from control rather than imposing it

文法句型

conquest + of + [place/situation]

用法筆記

Can be used both for literal military takeover and figuratively for achieving something difficult. When used figuratively, it often pairs with words like 'conquest of fear', 'conquest of space', or 'conquest of a challenge'.

常見錯誤

❌The conquest of the enemy happened quickly.
✅The conquest of the city happened quickly.
💡'Conquest' refers to the taking of a place or situation, not the defeating of a person or army directly.

2. A person whose romantic or sexual interest you have successfully won, used in a

2.名詞C1
釋義

A person whose romantic or sexual interest you have successfully won, used in a slightly old-fashioned or joking way.

例句

My uncle still jokingly refers to my aunt as his greatest conquest from their youth.

possessive + conquest in humorous context

Sofia rolled her eyes when her brother introduced his new date as his latest conquest.

同義詞
  • catch

    also informal but less sexual; describes someone desirable as a partner

文法句型

possessive + conquest

用法筆記

This sense is dated or humorous. It sounds old-fashioned or cheeky in modern English and is not used in serious or respectful discussions of relationships. Using it to describe a real person can be seen as rude or dismissive.

常見錯誤

❌She was proud to be his conquest.
✅She was proud to be his girlfriend.
💡Calling someone a 'conquest' reduces them to a trophy; the word carries a dismissive tone.

3. A place, especially a country or area, that has been taken and is controlled by

3.名詞B2
釋義

A place, especially a country or area, that has been taken and is controlled by a foreign power through military force.

例句

The Gupta empire expanded steadily, adding new conquests in the north and west.

plural conquests for territories acquired over time

The museum exhibited gold artefacts brought back from the Spanish conquests in South America.

同義詞
  • territory

    neutral term for a geographic area; does not imply how it was obtained

  • possession

    emphasizes ownership rather than the act of taking

  • colony

    specifically refers to a territory settled and ruled by a distant power

反義詞
  • homeland

    one's native land, not taken by force

文法句型

[number/quantity] + conquests

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the plural form ('conquests') when listing multiple territories. This sense is the most common meaning in historical writing.

常見錯誤

❌Rome made many conquests of people.
✅Rome made many conquests of territory.
💡A conquest is a place, not the people living there.