defeat
Americanverb (used with object)
-
defeats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
defeated,
past participle, past
-
defeating
present participle
noun
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defeats
plural
-
the act of overcoming in a contest.
an overwhelming defeat of all opposition.
-
an instance of defeat; setback.
He considered his defeat a personal affront.
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an overthrow or overturning; vanquishment.
the defeat of a government.
- Synonyms:
- downfall
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a bringing to naught; frustration.
the defeat of all his hopes and dreams.
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the act or event of being bested; a beating.
Defeat is not something she abides easily.
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Archaic. undoing; destruction; ruin.
verb
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to overcome in a contest or competition; win a victory over
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to thwart or frustrate
this accident has defeated all his hopes of winning
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law to render null and void; annul
noun
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the act of defeating or state of being defeated
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an instance of defeat
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overthrow or destruction
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law an annulment
Usage
What does defeat mean? To defeat someone is to beat them in a competition or contest. As a noun, a defeat is a loss (as in That was the team’s first defeat of the season) and defeat is the state of having lost (as in the agony of defeat). In most cases, the verb beat is a close synonym for defeat, but defeat is more formal (you can beat or defeat someone in a game, but a nation defeats another in war). As a verb, defeat can also mean to thwart or prevent something from happening, but this is less commonly used. Example: The Allies defeated the Axis powers in World War II.
Synonym Usage
Defeat, conquer, overcome, subdue imply gaining a victory or control over an opponent. Defeat suggests beating or frustrating: to defeat an enemy in battle. Conquer implies finally gaining control over, usually after a series of efforts or against systematic resistance: to conquer a country, one's inclinations. Overcome emphasizes surmounting difficulties in prevailing over an antagonist: to overcome opposition, bad habits. Subdue means to conquer so completely that resistance is broken: to subdue a rebellious spirit.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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defeatsimple
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defeatssimple
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have defeatedperfect
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has defeatedperfect
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am defeatingprogressive
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are defeatingprogressive
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is defeatingprogressive
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have been defeatingperfect progressive
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has been defeatingperfect progressive
Past
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defeatedsimple
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had defeatedperfect
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was defeatingprogressive
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were defeatingprogressive
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had been defeatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of defeat
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English defeten (verb), from Anglo-French, Old French desfait, past participle of desfaire “to undo, destroy,” from Medieval Latin disfacere, equivalent to Latin dis- dis- 1 + facere “to do”
Explanation
Defeat is the opposite of victory. When you lose, you suffer defeat. When you win, you defeat your enemy. This is a word that's all about losing. In World War II, America and the Allies defeated the Axis powers: we beat them. In basketball, Michael Jordan usually defeated his opponents. Any loss can be called a defeat. When you're disappointed or think that nothing is going right, you feel defeated. If you're determined to win, you could say, "I won't accept defeat!" Some people are so stubborn that even though they've obviously been defeated, they won't admit defeat.
Vocabulary lists containing defeat
Trumps
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"The Sporting Spirit"
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Is Myshkin conceding defeat, refusing to engage, or simply recognizing that he and Rogozhin have reached a spiritual impasse?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
All eyes will also be on US engagement with Brazil, whose foreign minister will be in attendance, after Washington granted entry to Flavio Bolsonaro following his defeat in Sunday's presidential election.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic's hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals were harmed by a second-round defeat at the Swiss Indoors event in Basel.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
But for someone like Schoenbrun, defeat defines their future.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
“Nah, Calvin. Everything makes perfect sense now. I was never meant to defeat Roho.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Serrano, who boasts a fight history of 50 wins, four defeats and one draw, will be seeking to break the all-time women's knockout record in her farewell bout.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
After three defeats from three, Harry Brook's side needed Pakistan to beat Sri Lanka to have a chance of reaching Saturday's final by beating Sri Lanka on Thursday.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
In a matter of days, they have gone through two extreme situations, both ending in crushing defeats.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
That sequence includes back-to-back 4-1 away defeats at Leeds United on 14 September and Coventry City on 12 October.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
He must examine the reasons for their victories and for their defeats, in order to avoid the latter and to imitate the former.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Previous installments of the “X-Men” films are more typical of the superhero genre, with grand CGI battle sequences and a foe or foes that must be defeated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
American media meanwhile reports that the defeated candidate is en route to the US.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
That suggests da Silva also drew substantial support from voters who had backed lesser-known candidates who were defeated in the first round, including those on the right.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Even if he is defeated on Tuesday, Mr. Netanyahu could decide to launch one last strike that he may believe his successor would hesitate to execute.
From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026
Hadn’t Jesus—and here my reading became intent indeed—hadn’t Jesus been defeated as utterly and unarguably as our little group and our small plans had been?
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
How defeating it can be to feel these things in the midst of true tenderness, especially in one’s first love.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
Open after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in a five-set semifinal.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Henry Hobbs, Noah Hobbs, Ethan Vernon and Ollie Wood also won bronze for GB in the men's team pursuit, defeating France in the bronze medal ride-off.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Sam Farmer makes his picks and score predictions for Week 6 of the NFL season, with the Rams defeating the Cardinals and the Chargers falling to 0-6.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Then we might stand a chance in defeating the Maafa once and for all.”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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