Prevail

• POS: Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: pre=vail

CIDE DICTIONARY

Prevail, v. i. [F. prévaloir, OF. prevaleir, L. praevalere; prae before + valere to be strong, able, or worth. See Valiant.].

•  To overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage; to have the upper hand, or the mastery; to succeed; -- sometimes with over or against.  [1913 Webster]

  "When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed."  [1913 Webster]

  "So David prevailed over the Philistine."  [1913 Webster]

  "This kingdom could never prevail against the united power of England."  [1913 Webster]
•  To be in force; to have effect, power, or influence; to be predominant; to have currency or prevalence; to obtain; as, the practice prevails this day.  [1913 Webster]

  "This custom makes the short-sighted bigots, and the warier skeptics, as far as it prevails."  [1913 Webster]
•  To persuade or induce; -- with on, upon, or with; as, I prevailedon him to wait.  [1913 Webster]

  "He was prevailed with to restrain the Earl."  [1913 Webster]

  "Prevail upon some judicious friend to be your constant hearer, and allow him the utmost freedom."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Prevail, v.intr.
1 (often foll. by against, over) be victorious or gain mastery.
2 be the more usual or predominant.
3 exist or occur in general use or experience; be current.
4 (foll. by on, upon) persuade.

Idiom

prevailing wind the wind that most frequently occurs at a place.

Derivative

prevailingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. L praevalere (as PRAE-, valere have power), infl. by AVAIL

THESAURUS

Prevail

abide, affect, argue into, be, be blooded, be extant, be found, be in, be in existence, be in force, be met with, be present, be successful, be the case, be the rage, be the rule, be the thing, be there, be victorious, beat, best, bestride, better, bide, break the record, breathe, bring around, bring round, cap, carry on, catch on, click, come off, connect, continue, continue the same, continue to be, convince, defeat time, defy time, dictate, dispose, dominate, domineer, drag along, drag on, draw, drone, dwell, endure, exceed, excel, exist, extend, farewell, get, go, go great guns, go off, go on, go one better, go over, go over big, go to town, graduate, happen to be, have being, have place, have the ascendancy, hold, hold on, hold out, hum, impress, improve on, incline, induce, influence, keep, keep on, last, last long, last out, live, live on, live through, maintain, make a hit, master, meet with success, obtain, occur, outweigh, overbalance, overbear, overcome, overpass, overtop, pass, perdure, perennate, perfect, persist, persuade, play first fiddle, predominate, preponderate, prompt, prosper, qualify, reign, remain, rule, rule the roost, run, run on, run through, stand, stay, stay on, subsist, succeed, surpass, survive, sustain, sway, take, take the lead, talk into, tarry, tide over, top, tower above, tower over, transcend, triumph, trump, twist, wear, wear the pants, wear well, win, win out, win over, work well, work wonders

ROGET THESAURUS

Prevail

Habit

VB be wont, fall into a rut, fall into a custom, tread the beaten track, follow the beaten track, tread the beaten path, follow the beaten, stare super antiquas vias, move in a rut, run on in a groove, go round like a horse in a mill, go on in the old jog trot way, habituate, inure, harden, season, caseharden, accustom, familiarize, naturalize, acclimatize, keep one's hand in, train, get into the way, get into the knack of, learn, cling to, adhere to, repeat, acquire a habit, contract a habit, fall into a habit, acquire a trick, contract a trick, fall into a trick, addict oneself to, take to, get into, be habitual, prevail, come into use, become a habit, take root, gain upon one, grow upon one.

Existence

VB exist, be, have being, subsist, live, breathe, stand, obtain, be the case, occur, have place, prevail, find oneself, pass the time, vegetate, consist in, lie in, be comprised in, be contained in, be constituted by, come into existence, arise, come forth, become, bring into existence, abide, continue, endure, last, remain, stay.

Superiority

VB be superior, exceed, excel, transcend, outdo, outbalance, outweigh, outrank, outrival, out-Herod, pass, surpass, get ahead of, over-top, override, overpass, overbalance, overweigh, overmatch, top, o'ertop, cap, beat, cut out, beat hollow, outstrip, eclipse, throw into the shade, take the shine out of, outshine, put one's nose out of joint, have the upper hand, have the whip hand of, have the advantage, turn the scale, kick the beam, play first fiddle, preponderate, predominate, prevail, precede, take precedence, come first, come to a head, culminate, beat all others, bear the palm, break the record, take the cake, become larger, render larger.

Generality

VB be general, prevail, be going about, stalk abroad, render general, generalize.

Success

VB succeed, be successful, gain one's end, gain one's ends, crown with success, gain a point, attain a point, carry a point, secure a point, win a point, win an object, get there, manage to, contrive to, accomplish, do wonders, work wonders, make a go of it, come off well, come off successful, come off with flying colors, make short work of, take by storm, carry by storm, bear away the bell, win one's wings, win one's spurs, win the battle, win the day, carry the day, gain the day, gain the prize, gain the palm, have the best of it, have it all one's own way, have the game in one's owns hands, have the ball at one's feet, have one on the hop, walk over the course, carry all before one, remain in possession of the field, score a success, speed, make progress, win one's way, make one's way, work one's way, find one's way, strive to some purpose, prosper, drive a roaring trade, make profit, reap the fruits, gather the fruits, reap the benefit of, reap the harvest, strike oil, gain a windfall, make one's fortune, get in the harvest, turn to good account, turn to account, triumph, be triumphant, gain a victory, obtain a victory, gain an advantage, chain victory to one's car, nail a coonskin to the wall, surmount a difficulty, overcome a difficulty, get over a difficulty, get over an obstacle, se tirer d'affaire, make head against, stem the torrent, stem the tide, stem the current, weather the storm, weather a point, turn a corner, keep one's head above water, tide over, master, get the better of, have the better of, gain the better of, gain the best of, gain the upper hand, gain the ascendancy, gain the whip hand, gain the start of, distance, surpass, defeat, conquer, vanquish, discomfit, euchre, overcome, overthrow, overpower, overmaster, overmatch, overset, override, overreach, outwit, outdo, outflank, outmaneuver, outgeneral, outvote, take the wind out of one's adversary's sails, beat, beat hollow, rout, lick, drub, floor, worst, put down, put to flight, put to the rout, put hors de combat, put out of court, silence, quell, nonsuit, checkmate, upset, confound, nonplus, stalemate, trump, baffle, circumvent, elude, trip up, trip up the heels of, drive into a corner, drive to the wall, run hard, put one's nose out of joint, settle, do for, break the neck of, break the back of, capsize, sink, shipwreck, drown, swamp, subdue, subjugate, reduce, make the enemy bite the dust, victimize, roll in the dust, trample under foot, put an extinguisher upon, answer, answer the purpose, avail, prevail, take effect, do, turn out well, work well, take, tell, bear fruit, hit it, hit the mark, hit the right nail on the head, nick it, turn up trumps, make a hit, find one's account in.

Influence

VB have influence, be influential, carry weight, weigh, tell, have a hold upon, magnetize, bear upon, gain a footing, work upon, take root, take hold, strike root in, run through, pervade, prevail, dominate, predominate, out weigh, over weigh, over-ride, over-bear, gain head, rage, be rife, spread like wildfire, have the upper hand, get the upper hand, gain the upper hand, have full play, get full play, gain full play, be recognized, be listened to, make one's voice heard, gain a hearing, play a part, play a leading part, play a leading part in, take the lead, pull the strings, turn the scale, throw one's weight into the scale, set the fashion, lead the dance.