What is the noun form of "succumb"?

Question

When I am succumbing to something, what am I doing?

There are many close synonyms, such as submission or surrender; however, does succumb has its own noun form?

Answer 1

I'm afraid that there is no noun for the act of succumbing. The noun which Sid gives, succumber, is the person who does the act, not the act itself (not to mention, the word is not very common).

If you are looking for a noun to use, then it might help to brush up on the etymology of succumb. It comes from the Latin verb, succumbere, which in its most literal sense means to "lie under".

Ultimately, it depends on what sense of succumb you would like to convey. Here are a few senses of the word:

1. to succumb to strength/force
2. to succumb to temptation/desire
3. to be brought to an end, or to die

I think that submission or surrender works well for the first sense. The Biblical concept of a Fall works well for the second sense, e.g. The allure of drugs precipitated his Fall. Sometimes the result of succumbing is the most appropriate noun form, e.g. His addiction to drugs, where addiction is the result. But you wouldn't say surrender to drugs, or submission to drugs, would you? You might, on the other hand, say his surrender to temptation started on that day. As for the last sense (i.e. number three) the words defeat, demise, and destruction come to mind.

In summary, I think the best noun depends on context. But there is no noun form of succumb, so you are out of luck there. I would keep in mind the various senses of the word, and maybe even its etymology, when choosing a word.

Answer 2

I know this is a little late, but according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the noun of the verb 'to succumb', is succumbency, and used in sentences as succumbence