defeat
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
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
-
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:
England's Dimeji Shittu had to settle for silver at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday after a controversial defeat by India's Ankush Panghal.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
One person says, with defeat, “All I managed today was beans on toast.”
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Halstead was disappointed: “The fact of the convention was the defeat of Seward rather than the nomination of Lincoln. It was the triumph of a presumption of availability over pre-eminence in intellect and unrivaled fame.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“We root for the rebels in ‘Star Wars’ and want them to defeat Darth Vader, or we side with the Fremen in ‘Dune.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
When the decisive vote came in April, Madison attributed his defeat to “the exertions and influence of Aristocracy, Anglicism, and mercantilism” led by “the Banks, the British Merchts., the insurance Comps.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
About the 10th or 12th time Spidey defeats a gaggle of adversaries by wrapping them up in webs, this series seems entangled in its own predictability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
In March, the company suffered defeats in landmark court cases in California and New Mexico that accused it of giving priority to growth over the safety of its underage users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Like any political operative, he had his share of defeats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
England also faced criticism in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup, which included five defeats in six games and a first-ever loss to Fiji.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
It’s been a few years since I engaged in urban highway driving, and I give myself high grades for fearless and agile navigation, but eventually the afternoon traffic defeats me.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
It was a second consecutive visit for the Dodgers, who defeated the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series and were honored by Trump the following April.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Muir died feeling that he’d been defeated by that, and that was a great tragedy at the end of his life.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Capdevila, 48, was part of the Spain team that defeated the Netherlands to win the 2010 World Cup final.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
In the mid-16th century, however, Spanish conquistadors had defeated the Incas in Bolivia, and the Sapa Inca’s size pales in comparison with the figures in the painting’s lower third.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Spassky seemed to have no animosity for the man who’d defeated him, although he knew he was going to face difficult times when he returned home to Moscow.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
After defeating 46-year-old Wach in Pattaya, the question of whether Fury would show up to watch Joshua became a subplot of fight night.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
She has proven a formidable adversary for Democrats for 30 years, most recently defeating a better-funded opponent in 2020 despite polls showing her trailing right up to election day.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
He wants to win, obviously, but his joy comes from playing the game well rather than defeating another team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
But you can still watch a sizzle reel of Argentina defeating Egypt and follow Switzerland vs.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
We caucused among ourselves and lobbied all the residents of the house, and within weeks elected our own House Committee, defeating the upperclassmen.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
