νῑκάω G3528
Overcome, conquer, be victorious; to prevail over adversaries, evil, or spiritual opposition; passively, to be defeated.
The verb of victory in the New Testament, carrying the force of the noun nike ('victory') into active combat. Jesus declares 'I have overcome the world' (John 16:33), setting the paradigm for believers who are called to conquer through faith (1 John 5:4–5). Revelation makes nikao its signature verb, promising rewards 'to the one who overcomes' in each of the seven letters to the churches (Revelation 2–3) and celebrating the Lamb who has conquered (Revelation 5:5; 17:14). Paul counsels that evil must be overcome with good, not by retaliating in kind (Romans 12:21), where the same verse uses the verb in both its active and passive senses.
1. overcome, conquer, be victorious — The active sense of conquering, overcoming, or prevailing — whether in spiritual warfare, moral struggle, or cosmic conflict. Jesus' declaration 'I have overcome the world' (John 16:33) anchors this usage. The Johannine epistles celebrate believers' victory over the evil one (1 John 2:13–14; 4:4; 5:4–5). Revelation employs nikao as a programmatic verb: the one who overcomes receives the tree of life, the crown, and the new name (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Spanish ha vencido and German ueberwinden consistently convey this triumphant sense. Romans 3:4 applies it to God prevailing in his judgments, and Romans 12:21a urges overcoming evil with good. 27×
AR["أَن-يَغلِبَهُم","الغالِبُ","الغالِبِ","سَيَغلِبُهُم","غالِبُ","غَلَبتُم","غَلَبتُموهُم","غَلَبَ","غَلَبَت","غَلَبْتُ","يَغلِبُ","يَغْلِبُهُ"]·ben["জয়-করবে","জয়-করবেন","জয়-করার","জয়-করে","জয়-করেছি,","জয়-করেছেন","জয়কারী","জয়ী","জয়ী-হয়,","জয়ীকে","তোমরা-জয়-করেছ","পরাজিত-করে","যে-জয়-করে","যে-জয়-করেছে"]·DE["ueberwinden","νικήσῃ"]·EN["conquers","have-overcome","having-overcome","one-overcoming","overcame","overcomes","overcoming","to-conquer","will-conquer","will-overcome","you-have-overcome"]·FR["vaincre"]·heb["יְנַצֵּחַ","יִנְצַח","לְנַצֵּחַ","מְנַצֵּחַ","מְנַצַּחַת","נִצַּח","נִצַּחְתִּי","נִצַּחְתֶּם"]·HI["जय-पाया","जय-पाया,","जयवन्त-को,","जयवन्त-होगा","जयवन्त-होगा,","जीत-ले","जीतता-है","जीतने","जीतने-वाला","जीतने-वाली","जीतनेवाला","जीतेगा","तुमने-जीता"]·ID["akan-mengalahkan","kamu-telah-mengalahkan","menang","menang,","mengalahkan","untuk-mengalahkan","yang-menang"]·IT["vincere"]·jav["badhe-ngalahaken","badhé-menang","ingkang-menang","menang","ngalahaken","sampun-menang","sampun-ngalahaken","sampun-panjenengan-ungguli"]·KO["너희-가-이겼다","이겨서","이기는-자","이기는-자가","이기려고","이기면","이긴","이긴다","이길-것이니"]·PT["os-vencestes,","que-vence","que-venceu","vence","vencerá","vencestes","venceu","venci","vencê-los"]·RU["Побеждающего,","Побеждающему,","Побеждающий","Побеждающий,","победившая","победил","победил,","победили-вы","победит","победить","побеждает","побеждающий"]·ES["ha-vencido","habéis-vencido","lo-venza","los-habéis-vencido","que-vence","que-venció","vence","vencerlos","vencerá","venciendo","vencí"]·SW["Ashindaye","Ashindaye,","akimshinda","ameshinda","anayeushinda","ashindaye","ashindaye,","atawashinda","kinaushinda","kuwashinda","mmemshinda","mmewashinda","nilivyoshinda,","ulioushinda"]·TR["-o","galip-gelen","galip-gelene","ve-","yendiniz","yenecek","yenen","yener","yenerse","yenmek"]·urd["جیت-لے","جیتنے","غالب-آئے-گا","غالب-آنے-والا","غالب-آنے-والے","غالب-آیا","فاتح","فتح-پاتا-ہے","فتح-پانے-والا","فتح-پانے-والی","فتح-پایا-ہے","فتح-کرے-گا"]
Luke 11:22, John 16:33, Rom 3:4, Rom 12:21, 1 John 2:13, 1 John 2:14, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:5, Rev 2:7, Rev 2:11 (+15 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. be overcome, be defeated — The passive sense of being overcome, conquered, or defeated by an opposing force. Romans 12:21a warns me nikō hypo tou kakou — 'do not be overcome by evil' — using the passive to depict the believer as potentially vanquished if they retaliate rather than respond with good. Spanish seas vencido ('may you be defeated') preserves the passive voice clearly. This sense appears as the negative counterpart to the dominant active usage, creating a deliberate contrast within the same verse: do not be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good. 1×
AR["تُغْلَبْ"]·ben["জিত-হও"]·DE["ueberwinden"]·EN["be-overcome"]·FR["vaincre"]·heb["תִּנָּצֵח"]·HI["हारो"]·ID["dikalahkan"]·IT["vincere"]·jav["kawon"]·KO["지지"]·PT["sejas-vencido"]·RU["-побеждайся"]·ES["seas-vencido"]·SW["shindwe"]·TR["yenilme"]·urd["مغلوب-ہو"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
νῑκάω, Ionic dialect νικέω NT+4th c.BC+; Aeolic dialect νίκημι Refs 3rd c.BC+; also in imperfect νίκη conjecture in Refs 5th c.BC+: Epic dialect imperfect 1st pers. plural νικάσκομεν Refs 8th c.BC+future -ήσω, later -ήσομαιRefs 4th c.AD+; Doric dialect 2nd pers. singular νικαξῇ variant in Refs 3rd c.BC+perfect νενίκηκα, etc.: (νίκη): __I absolutely, conquer, prevail in battle, in the games, or in…