avere la meglio

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to have the best”.

Verb

avére la meglio (first-person singular present (with syntactic gemination after the verb) hò la meglio, first-person singular past historic èbbi la meglio or ébbi la meglio, past participle avùto la meglio, first-person singular future avrò la meglio, first-person singular subjunctive àbbia la meglio, second-person singular imperative àbbi la meglio, auxiliary avére)

1. to prevail

   solo il più forte può avere la meglio

   only the strongest one can prevail

2. (transitive with a or su) to get the best of
   • 2019, George Orwell, translated by Nicola Gardini, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mondadori:

     Alla fine la tentazione di scoprirlo ebbe la meglio sulla paura; e Winston si infilò una mano in tasca.

     In the end the temptation to find out overcame his fear; he slipped a hand into his pocket.

     (literally, “At the end the temptation to discover it got the best of fear; and Winston slipped a hand into his pocket.”)