ὑπερνικάω (G5245) — Greek Lexicon

ὑπερνικάω

hypernikáō

G5245 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To achieve overwhelming or surpassing victory, to be completely victorious or to prevail by a decisive margin. The term conveys the sense of not only conquering but doing so in a way that exceeds ordinary victory, emphasizing the totality or extraordinary nature of the triumph. Used in the context of victory in struggle or adversity, it can extend metaphorically to spiritual or moral triumphs.

Semantic Range

to overwhelmingly conquer, to be completely victorious, to triumph decisively, to gain an extraordinary victory, to be more than a conqueror

Root / Etymology

Formed from the preposition ὑπέρ (over, beyond, above) and the verb νικάω (to conquer, to prevail). The compound construction intensifies the simple meaning of 'to conquer' to express an exceptional, surpassing victory. No evidence of usage prior to Hellenistic Greek; the term is constructed via regular Koine compounding practices.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ὑπερνικάω is a rare word in the extant corpus, appearing most notably in Romans 8:37 in the New Testament, where it conveys the idea of extraordinary overcoming—'we are more than victorious.' The preposition ὑπέρ combined with a verb is a common structure in Koine Greek to denote intensification or excess. There is little attestation of the word in classical or Septuagint Greek, suggesting it may be a neologism or an especially rare coinage in Hellenistic and early Christian literature. Standard English translations ('more than conquer,' 'overwhelming victory') attempt to express this intensity but may not fully capture the emphatic sense present in the Greek. The word stands in contrast to νικάω (to conquer), highlighting a result that exceeds mere success, focusing on a surpassing or preeminent triumph. Not used in the Septuagint or other early Greek literature outside of Christian documents, indicating it was not common in broader Hellenistic usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ὑπέρ and νικάω; to vanquish beyond, i.e. gain a decisive victory:--more than conquer.

Root Family

ὑπερνικάω (hypernikaō) — to conquer, to overcome, to prevail

Root ὑπερ-, νικ- to conquer, to overcome, to prevail

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5245-01`	ὑπερνικῶμεν	upernikomen	`V PRS ACT IND 1P PL`	we are more than conquerors	we overwhelmingly conquer	we overwhelmingly conquer	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5245-01`	Romans 8:37	ὑπερνικῶμεν	upernikomen	`V PRS ACT IND 1P PL`	we are more than conquerors	we overwhelmingly conquer	we overwhelmingly conquer

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