defeat
Americanverb (used with object)
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defeats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
defeated,
past participle, past
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defeating
present participle
noun
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defeats
plural
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the act of overcoming in a contest.
an overwhelming defeat of all opposition.
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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:
Without a win in their past four games, these are the first competitive fixtures since a penalty shoot-out defeat by Bosnia-Herzegovina in March's play-offs cost Wales a place in the World Cup.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
McCullum's sole responsibility is now for the white-ball side after he was sacked as Test coach following the series defeat by New Zealand in June.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Written by the Students for a Democratic Society, the statement was an explicit call for change and an implicit admission of defeat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
And that was compounded by the Rams’ travel plans being widely panned after their sluggish defeat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
The reports he was receiving from mutual friends emphasized Jefferson’s generosity of spirit in defeat.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Ben Shelton defeats Carlos Alcaraz in a glorious match that finished at an inhumane hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Tiafoe is hoping to reach the final at Flushing Meadows for the first time, following defeats by Alcaraz in 2022 and Taylor Fritz in 2024.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Their only defeats came within hours of each other at the Chargers Invitational, to reigning Southern Section Division I champion JSerra and Bonita Vista, the second-ranked team in the San Diego Section.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Some plans force you to take the entire balance at once, which defeats the purpose.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
In the Middle East, the Turks had suffered a series of defeats by the British, who captured Baghdad in March 1917 and Palestine in September 1918.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
The Chicago Bears defeated the Carolina Panthers 59-37 in a season opener that featured a combined 96 points.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
In Greek mythology, the volcano was associated with the burial of the giants Typhon and Enceladus after they were defeated by the Olympian gods.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
Scoring all of their points after halftime, the Bruins defeated San Diego State 28-10 to remain unbeaten on the young season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Europe's fightback in the opening session was initiated by Swedish duo Maja Stark and Linn Grant who defeated Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho 3&2.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“What are you talking about? Uncle Ty defeated Roho.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Soon he’ll tell us he carried dozens of people on his own back while personally defeating the terrorists.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Some people have suggested defeating this by posting false information about yourself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The Springboks have remained world number one since November 2024, defeating England, Scotland and Wales in July before beating Argentina in Buenos Aires.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Hichilema himself won office in 2021 on his sixth attempt, defeating arch-rival Edgar Lungu in a landslide.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Even a party of six or seven high-level avatars would have had a difficult time defeating him.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
