defeat

1 of 2

verb

de·feat di-ˈfēt How to pronounce defeat (audio)

dē-

defeated; defeating; defeats

transitive verb

: to win victory over : beat

defeated their archrivals in the championship game

The bill was defeated in the Senate.

: frustrate sense 2a(1)

defeat a hope

law : nullify

defeat an estate

obsolete : destroy

… his unkindness may defeat my life …

Shakespeare

defeatable

di-ˈfē-tə-bəl How to pronounce defeat (audio)

dē-

adjective

defeat

2 of 2

noun

: frustration by nullification or by prevention of success

The bill suffered defeat in the Senate.

: an overthrow especially of an army in battle

celebrate their defeat of the enemy

: the loss of a contest

his first defeat as a professional boxer

obsolete : destruction

… upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made.

Shakespeare

Example Sentences

Verb We must be ready to defeat our enemies in battle. Our candidate defeated him in the last election. She finally found a solution to a problem that had defeated many other researchers. The bill was defeated in the state senate. Scientists from around the world are working to defeat the disease. Noun We weren't prepared for defeat. One small error could make the difference between success and defeat. After several tries we were forced to accept defeat. They celebrated their defeat of the enemy. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The Hoosiers looked shaky in their opener, needing a late rally to defeat Illinois on a last-minute touchdown.

Baltimore Sun, 9 Sep. 2022 That has long meant an alliance with the building trades, including unions that represent refinery and utility workers who would join forces to defeat certain kinds of climate legislation.

Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2022 The Zips rallied at home, 30-23 in overtime, in their opener to defeat Football Championship Subdivision opponent St. Francis (Pennsylvania) last Thursday.

Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 Last year, Southeastern was the only team to defeat both Harding and Ouachita.

Rex Nelson, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2022 But down that road lies more political trouble as politicians use courts, rather than elections, to defeat their opponents.

The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 That year, Garcia supported civil engineer Tanya Patino in her unsuccessful campaign to defeat Burke on the Southwest Side.

Gregory Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Tuesday’s event was aimed at Gen Z voters 25 and under, a key demographic that Democrats hope to turn out in November to defeat Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Steven Lemongello, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2022 Brother Martin placed five runners in the top 10 to overcome a resounding individual win by St. Paul’s Mac Conwell, last year’s individual Invitational Boys’ winner, to defeat the Saints 28-56.

Arthur L. Mack, al, 3 Sep. 2022

Noun

A year later, given the option to select his opponent in the first round of qualifying, the defeat was still fresh in Capps' mind.

Wilson Moore, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Sep. 2022 Game 6 defeat to the Mavericks would be Mitchell’s last game with the franchise, but his post-game interview gave even more reason to wonder.

Aaron Falk, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 Sep. 2022 The expeditious defeat of Putin is certainly a national-security priority for the United States, though it ...

Victoria Coates, National Review, 20 Aug. 2022 Wyoming defeat is a win for Trump and a decisive blow to the fading GOP establishment.

Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2022 That’s how thin the margin between victory and defeat can be.

Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 13 Aug. 2022 The legend goes the technique of opening bottles of bubbles with a weapon was used by Napoleon and his troops, whether in victory or defeat.

Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 Even small changes in the balance between the parties can make the difference between victory and defeat in the next election, and compromises can reduce the enthusiasm of each party’s base.

William A. Galston, WSJ, 26 July 2022 The resounding defeat of Richard Irvin, a Republican candidate for governor who had $50 million from billionaire Ken Griffin in his campaign pocketbook, is just one example.

Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English defeten, defaiten "to ruin, destroy, nullify," in part verbal derivative of defet "disfigured, null and void (in law)," borrowed from Anglo-French defait, defet, desfet, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, put an end to, destroy, nullify," from de-, des- de- + faire "to do, make," going back to Latin facere; in part borrowed from Anglo-French defeter, derivative of defet — more at fact

Noun

in part noun derivative of defeat entry 1, in part borrowed from Middle French defaite, noun derivative from feminine of defait, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, destroy, kill" — more at defeat entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

defeat

transitive verb

de·feat

: to render null

third parties will defeat an attached but “unperfected” security interest

J. J. White and R. S. Summers

: to prevent or undo the effectiveness or establishment of

defeat jurisdiction

defendant took stand and defeated intoxication defense

National Law Journal

: to prevail over

: to thwart the claim of

defeat creditors

an intent to defeat the surviving spouse of his…elective share

Tennessee Code Annotated

defeat 1 of 2

verb

as in to overcome

to achieve a victory over they defeated their archrivals easily and moved into the next round of the play-offs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

overcome
master
beat
conquer
stop
dispatch
get
subdue
take
surmount
succeed
best
worst
overmatch
lick
upend
overbear
get around
skunk
overwhelm
slaughter
trim
sweep
finish
do down
crush
triumph (over)
get the better of
bury
annihilate
score
vanquish
rout
surpass
upset
knock for a loop
win (against)
prevail (over)
overthrow
drub
blow out
trounce
exceed
bomb
blow away
snow under
clobber
subjugate
nose out
flatten
flourish
excel
top
cap
thrash
whip
overpower
break
wallop
better
unseat
smoke
skin
pip
transcend
eclipse
knock over
outdistance
outdo
excel
cream
outfight
outshine
shellac
wax
edge (out)
outstrip
knock off
overtop
ace (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lose (to)
fall
fail
collapse
give up
wash out
fold
go under
flop
flunk
go down

defeat

2 of 2

noun

as in loss

failure to win a contest sore losers still griping about their defeat in the basketball game earlier that week

Synonyms & Similar Words

loss
beating
setback
overthrow
rout
drubbing
trouncing
failure
shellacking
whipping
upset
collapse
licking
trimming
shutout
plastering
debacle
fiasco
flop
nonsuccess
lump
fizzle
washout
whitewash
débâcle
lurch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

victory
triumph
success
win
achievement
accomplishment
sweep
landslide
blowout
runaway
cakewalk
walkover
romp
walkaway

as in collapse

a falling short of one's goals truly disheartened by the defeat of his plans to revitalize downtown

Synonyms & Similar Words

collapse
failure
setback
crash
disappointment
nonsuccess
fizzle
futility
cropper
nonachievement
deficiency
ineffectiveness
uselessness
inefficacy
ineffectuality
letdown
inadequacy
ineffectualness
inefficaciousness
insufficiency
inadequateness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

success
victory
achievement
accomplishment
win

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of defeat are conquer, overcome, overthrow, reduce, subdue, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

In some situations, the words conquer and defeat are roughly equivalent. However, conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

While in some cases nearly identical to defeat, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

While the synonyms overthrow and defeat are close in meaning, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

The meanings of reduce and defeat largely overlap; however, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

The words subdue and defeat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

The synonyms vanquish and defeat are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

单词	defeat
释义	defeat 1 of 2 verb de·feat di-ˈfēt dē- defeated; defeating; defeats transitive verb 1 : to win victory over : beat defeated their archrivals in the championship game The bill was defeated in the Senate. 2 a : frustrate sense 2a(1) defeat a hope b law : nullify defeat an estate 3 obsolete : destroy … his unkindness may defeat my life … Shakespeare defeatable di-ˈfē-tə-bəl dē- adjective defeat 2 of 2 noun 1 : frustration by nullification or by prevention of success The bill suffered defeat in the Senate. 2 a : an overthrow especially of an army in battle celebrate their defeat of the enemy b : the loss of a contest his first defeat as a professional boxer 3 obsolete : destruction … upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made. Shakespeare Synonyms Verb beat best conquer dispatch do down [British] get get around lick master overbear overcome overmatch prevail (over) skunk stop subdue surmount take trim triumph (over) upend win (against) worst Noun beating drubbing licking loss lump overthrow plastering rout shellacking trimming trouncing whipping See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Verb We must be ready to defeat our enemies in battle. Our candidate defeated him in the last election. She finally found a solution to a problem that had defeated many other researchers. The bill was defeated in the state senate. Scientists from around the world are working to defeat the disease. Noun We weren't prepared for defeat. One small error could make the difference between success and defeat. After several tries we were forced to accept defeat. They celebrated their defeat of the enemy. See More Recent Examples on the Web Verb The Hoosiers looked shaky in their opener, needing a late rally to defeat Illinois on a last-minute touchdown. Baltimore Sun, 9 Sep. 2022 That has long meant an alliance with the building trades, including unions that represent refinery and utility workers who would join forces to defeat certain kinds of climate legislation. Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2022 The Zips rallied at home, 30-23 in overtime, in their opener to defeat Football Championship Subdivision opponent St. Francis (Pennsylvania) last Thursday. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 Last year, Southeastern was the only team to defeat both Harding and Ouachita. Rex Nelson, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2022 But down that road lies more political trouble as politicians use courts, rather than elections, to defeat their opponents. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 That year, Garcia supported civil engineer Tanya Patino in her unsuccessful campaign to defeat Burke on the Southwest Side. Gregory Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Tuesday’s event was aimed at Gen Z voters 25 and under, a key demographic that Democrats hope to turn out in November to defeat Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Steven Lemongello, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2022 Brother Martin placed five runners in the top 10 to overcome a resounding individual win by St. Paul’s Mac Conwell, last year’s individual Invitational Boys’ winner, to defeat the Saints 28-56. Arthur L. Mack, al, 3 Sep. 2022 Noun A year later, given the option to select his opponent in the first round of qualifying, the defeat was still fresh in Capps' mind. Wilson Moore, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Sep. 2022 Game 6 defeat to the Mavericks would be Mitchell’s last game with the franchise, but his post-game interview gave even more reason to wonder. Aaron Falk, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 Sep. 2022 The expeditious defeat of Putin is certainly a national-security priority for the United States, though it ... Victoria Coates, National Review, 20 Aug. 2022 Wyoming defeat is a win for Trump and a decisive blow to the fading GOP establishment. Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2022 That’s how thin the margin between victory and defeat can be. Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 13 Aug. 2022 The legend goes the technique of opening bottles of bubbles with a weapon was used by Napoleon and his troops, whether in victory or defeat. Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 Even small changes in the balance between the parties can make the difference between victory and defeat in the next election, and compromises can reduce the enthusiasm of each party’s base. William A. Galston, WSJ, 26 July 2022 The resounding defeat of Richard Irvin, a Republican candidate for governor who had $50 million from billionaire Ken Griffin in his campaign pocketbook, is just one example. Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Verb Middle English defeten, defaiten "to ruin, destroy, nullify," in part verbal derivative of defet "disfigured, null and void (in law)," borrowed from Anglo-French defait, defet, desfet, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, put an end to, destroy, nullify," from de-, des- de- + faire "to do, make," going back to Latin facere; in part borrowed from Anglo-French defeter, derivative of defet — more at fact Noun in part noun derivative of defeat entry 1, in part borrowed from Middle French defaite, noun derivative from feminine of defait, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, destroy, kill" — more at defeat entry 1 First Known Use Verb 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3 Noun 1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing defeat defeat the purpose of concede defeat in defeat go down to defeat the jaws of defeat admit defeat defeat the purpose of concede defeat in defeat go down to defeat the jaws of defeat admit defeat Kids Definition defeat 1 of 2 verb de·feat di-ˈfēt defeated; defeating 1 : to win victory over The champs defeated their rivals handily. 2 : to cause to fail or be destroyed The bill was defeated in Congress. defeat 2 of 2 noun : loss of a contest or battle Legal Definition defeat transitive verb de·feat 1 a : to render null third parties will defeat an attached but “unperfected” security interest J. J. White and R. S. Summers b : to prevent or undo the effectiveness or establishment of defeat jurisdiction defendant took stand and defeated intoxication defense National Law Journal 2 a : to prevail over b : to thwart the claim of defeat creditors an intent to defeat the surviving spouse of his…elective share Tennessee Code Annotated History and Etymology for defeat Anglo-French defait, past participle of defaire to undo, defeat, from Old French deffaire desfaire, from de-, prefix marking reversal of action + faire to do defeat 1 of 2 verb as in to overcome to achieve a victory over they defeated their archrivals easily and moved into the next round of the play-offs Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance overcome master beat conquer stop dispatch get subdue take surmount succeed best worst overmatch lick upend overbear get around skunk overwhelm slaughter trim sweep finish do down crush triumph (over) get the better of bury annihilate score vanquish rout surpass upset knock for a loop win (against) prevail (over) overthrow drub blow out trounce exceed bomb blow away snow under clobber subjugate nose out flatten flourish excel top cap thrash whip overpower break wallop better unseat smoke skin pip transcend eclipse knock over outdistance outdo excel cream outfight outshine shellac wax edge (out) outstrip knock off overtop ace (out) Antonyms & Near Antonyms lose (to) fall fail collapse give up wash out fold go under flop flunk go down See More defeat 2 of 2 noun 1 as in loss failure to win a contest sore losers still griping about their defeat in the basketball game earlier that week Synonyms & Similar Words loss beating setback overthrow rout drubbing trouncing failure shellacking whipping upset collapse licking trimming shutout plastering debacle fiasco flop nonsuccess lump fizzle washout whitewash débâcle lurch Antonyms & Near Antonyms victory triumph success win achievement accomplishment sweep landslide blowout runaway cakewalk walkover romp walkaway See More 2 as in collapse a falling short of one's goals truly disheartened by the defeat of his plans to revitalize downtown Synonyms & Similar Words collapse failure setback crash disappointment nonsuccess fizzle futility cropper nonachievement deficiency ineffectiveness uselessness inefficacy ineffectuality letdown inadequacy ineffectualness inefficaciousness insufficiency inadequateness Antonyms & Near Antonyms success victory achievement accomplishment win Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of defeat are conquer, overcome, overthrow, reduce, subdue, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals. the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas In some situations, the words conquer and defeat are roughly equivalent. However, conquer implies gaining mastery of. Caesar conquered Gaul While in some cases nearly identical to defeat, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle. overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks While the synonyms overthrow and defeat are close in meaning, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power. violently overthrew the old regime The meanings of reduce and defeat largely overlap; however, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender. the city was reduced after a month-long siege The words subdue and defeat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, subdue implies a defeating and suppression. subdued the native tribes after years of fighting The synonyms vanquish and defeat are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering. vanquished the enemy and ended the war
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defeat

verb

noun

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing defeat

Kids Definition

verb

noun

Legal Definition

transitive verb

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser