prevail

pre·vail

verb \pri-ˈvāl\

Definition of PREVAIL

intransitive verb

1

: to gain ascendancy through strength or superiority : triumph

2

: to be or become effective or effectual

3

: to use persuasion successfully <prevailed on him to sing>

4

: to be frequent : predominate <the west winds that prevail in the mountains>

5

: to be or continue in use or fashion : persist <a custom that still prevails>

Examples of PREVAIL

1. Mutual respect prevails among students and teachers here.
2. The house was built in the style that prevailed in the 1980s.
3. The law still prevails in some states.

Origin of PREVAIL

Middle English, from Latin praevalēre, from prae- pre- + valēre to be strong — more at wield

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to PREVAIL

Synonyms: conquer, win, triumph

Antonyms: lose

Related Words: overcome, sweep; squeak, squeeze; contend, vie; succeed; breeze, romp

Near Antonyms: collapse, fail, flop, fold, wash out; flounder, struggle; decline, slip, slump, wane

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with PREVAIL

abseil, airmail, all hail, assail, avail, bake sale, bangtail, blackmail, blacktail, bobtail, broadscale, broadtail, bucktail, bud scale, canaille, cattail, chain mail, coattail, cocktail, contrail, curtail, derail, detail, doornail, dovetail, downscale, ducktail, e-mail, entail, exhale, fan mail, fantail, female, fife rail, fire sale, fishtail, folktale, foresail, foxtail, fresh gale, full-scale, gapped scale, Glendale, gray scale, greenmail, guardrail, Hallel, handrail, hangnail, headsail, hightail, hobnail, horntail, horsetail, impale, inhale, junk mail, Longueuil, lugsail, mainsail, mare's tail, Mondale, moon snail, oxtail, pass-fail, percale, pigtail, pintail, pinwale, plate rail, pot ale, rattail, regale, resale, rescale, retail, right whale, ringtail, Sangreal, Scottsdale, sea kale, shavetail, shirttail, skysail, slop pail, small-scale, snail mail, soft hail, split rail, springtail, spritsail, square sail, staysail, strong gale, surveil, swordtail, taffrail, tag sale, telltale, third rail, thumbnail, timescale, toenail, topsail, travail, trysail, unnail, unveil, upscale, ventail, voice mail, wage scale, wagtail, wassail, whiptail, white sale, whitetail, white whale, whole gale, wholesale, yard sale