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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Prevail: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：win out (prevail)

prevail 🔊

/prɪˈveɪl/

vi.

To win or be stronger in a competition, argument, or difficult situation.

Illustration of the word prevail meaning to win, showing a victorious boxer.

win out 🔊

➕

/ˌwɪn ˈaʊt/

vi.

Describes the act of ultimately being victorious or proving stronger than an opponent in a contest, dispute, or challenging circumstance.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'praevalere' ('prae-' meaning 'before, pre-' + 'valere' meaning 'to be strong, be worth').

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'PRE-VAIL' as achieving victory 'before all' others. The 'vail' part sounds like 'victory'.

📖 Example

Despite a slow start, their team's strong defense prevailed and they won the championship. 🔊 Despite beginning slowly, their team's strong defense won out and they secured the championship title.

🔗 Collocations

prevail over – to gain a victory or mastery over someone or something

prevail against – to succeed in overcoming an adversary or obstacle

right/justice will prevail – a common idiom expressing the belief that truth and fairness will ultimately triumph

🔄 Synonyms

triumph (v./n.) – to achieve a great victory or success

conquer (v.) – to overcome and take control of by force, or to successfully deal with a problem

dominate (v.) – to have power and influence over; to be the most important or conspicuous

🚫 Antonyms

lose (v.) – to fail to win or be unsuccessful

succumb (v.) – to fail to resist pressure, temptation, or a negative force

yield (v.) – to give way to arguments, demands, or pressure

🌱 Derivatives

prevailing (adj.) – existing at a particular time; current, dominant

prevailment (n.) – the act or state of prevailing (less common)

📖 Cultural Story

The word entered English around the 15th century via Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin 'praevalere' (to have greater power). It retains the core sense of strength or superiority leading to a dominant outcome, originally in a literal power struggle, now widely used in competitive, intellectual, and cultural contexts.

Meaning 2：be widespread (prevail)

prevail 🔊

/prɪˈveɪl/

vi.

When an idea, custom, or weather condition is very common in a place or period.

Image depicting prevail as widespread, showing a common trend at a music festival.

be widespread 🔊

➕

/bi ˈwɪdspred/

vi.

Indicates that a particular idea, belief, custom, condition, or atmosphere is the most common, dominant, or generally existing one in a specific place or period.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

A new awareness about plastic pollution prevails among young people today. 🔊 A fresh consciousness regarding plastic pollution is widespread among the youth of today.

🔗 Collocations

prevailing opinion/view – the opinion or view that is most common or generally accepted

prevailing wind – the wind that blows most frequently over a particular area

prevailing conditions – the typical or current circumstances in a given situation

🔄 Synonyms

predominate (v.) – to be the strongest or main element; to have control or power

abound (v.) – to exist in great numbers or quantities

pervade (v.) – to spread through and be perceived in every part of something

🚫 Antonyms

rare (adj.) – not occurring very often

uncommon (adj.) – not ordinarily encountered; unusual