overcome

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Someone is overcome[color=orange] by grief or [color=orange]with grief? Any difference?

I looked it up in the dictionary. Only an example of [color=red]with is given while with the word “[color=blue]overwhelm”, both [color=red]with and [color=red]by are given. I wonder if there is any difference?

Thanks.

2

No significant difference in use. This isn’t a brilliant explanation but it’s the best I can give to try to explain the subtlety:
by grief - the grief has overcome them.
with grief - being full of grief has overcome them.

3

I don’t understand this. Shouldn’t it be “full of grief that has overcome them”?

Thanks.

4

That’s not the meaning I wished to convey. I meant ‘being full of grief is what has caused them to be overcome’. As I said, it’s very imprecise because the subtlety is difficult to explain.