conquer: implies a major action, all-inclusive effort, and a more or less permanent result: working to ~ this perniciousdisease.


defeat: implies MERELY the fact of getting better of an adversary at a particular time, often with no more than a temporary checking or frustrating:~ him in tennis match.


vanquish: suggests a significant action of certain dignity in the defeat of a person rather than a thing: ~ his opponent in the championship match.


overcome: implies an opposing, often fixed, obstacle that can be dealt with only with difficulty or after a hard struggle: ~ a legal obstacle.


surmount: implies surpassing or exceeding rather than overcoming in a face-to-face confrontation: severe technical problems to be ~.


subdue: implies bringing under control by or as if by overpowering: the police ~ the unruly man.


subjugate: stresses bringing into and keeping in subjection,and often implies a humbled and servile state in what is subjugated : ~ the minoritypopulations.


reduce: implies surrender and submission, usually as the result of overwhelming by or as if by military action: acity ~ by a month-long siege.


overthrow: stresses the bringing down or destruction of enemy power: a futile attempt to ~ the leader.


rout: suggests such complete defeat as tocause flight and complete dispersion and disorganization of the adversary: the Guerrillas ~ the attacking force.


beat: close to but less formal than defeat, is somewhat neutral though it may imply the finality associated with vanquish: ~ an opponent at cards.


lick: is likely to imply a complete humbling or reduction to ineffectiveness of the one defeated: ~ a problem.


conquer: 重要行动和最终结果，defeat:仅表示胜过, 或只是暂时阻止，vanquish:凯旋般(光荣)战胜某人而非某物, overcome: 存在障碍，必须艰难斗争，surmount: 表示超越而不是克服，subdue: 强力(overpower)制服控制, subjugate: 使屈服，处境卑微，reduce: 武力迫使投降，overthrow: 强调推翻, rout: 完全战胜使敌人逃跑溃不成军，beat:不正式，词性最弱，lick: 使完全屈服无力反抗。


记忆方法： 1) 首字母联想CDVOSSSRORBL: DC OR BL OR SS VS(versus): 大虫或白狼或山狮比赛==>战胜征服。


          2）战胜的意思是通过力量或策略取胜mean to get the better of by force or stragegy.