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prevaile

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An older spelling of 'prevail.' It means to succeed or win over someone.

Detailed Definition
Prevaile is an early modern spelling of 'prevail.' In this poem it means the lover’s actions were enough to overcome resistance or persuade the speaker. The spelling is historical rather than a different word, but it may still need recognition for modern readers.
Example
Example in poetry:
“On her that was already fir’d / ’Twas easy to prevaile” preserves the archaic spelling meaning “to prevail”; “With gentler speech than swords, he did prevaile” uses the form in a courtly register; “No prayer could prevaile against the winter tide” shows its sense of succeed or prove stronger; “Though hope prevaile, the old spelling makes the line sound historical”
Additional Notes
The word "prevaile" in "’Twas easy to prevaile" is an archaic spelling that many readers may not immediately connect to 'prevail'.; Found in the poem, The Willing Mistriss by Aphra Behn
Also Known As
triumph succeed conquer prevail
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