defeat

[ dih-feet ]
See synonyms for: defeatdefeateddefeatingdefeats on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to overcome in a contest, election, battle, etc.; prevail over; vanquish: They defeated the enemy.She defeated her brother at tennis.

  1. to eliminate or deprive of something expected: The early returns defeated his hopes of election.

  2. Law. to annul.

noun
  1. the act of overcoming in a contest: an overwhelming defeat of all opposition.

  2. an instance of defeat; setback: He considered his defeat a personal affront.

  1. an overthrow or overturning; vanquishment: the defeat of a government.

  2. a bringing to naught; frustration: the defeat of all his hopes and dreams.

  3. the act or event of being bested; a beating: Defeat is not something she abides easily.

  4. Archaic. undoing; destruction; ruin.

Origin of defeat

1
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”

synonym study For defeat

1. 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 words for defeat

Other words from defeat

  • de·feat·er, noun
  • non·de·feat, noun
  • pre·de·feat, noun, verb
  • re·de·feat, verb, noun

Words Nearby defeat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use defeat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for defeat

defeat

/ (dɪˈfiːt) /


verb(tr)
  1. to overcome in a contest or competition; win a victory over

  2. to thwart or frustrate: this accident has defeated all his hopes of winning

  1. law to render null and void; annul

noun
  1. the act of defeating or state of being defeated

  2. an instance of defeat

  1. overthrow or destruction

  2. law an annulment

Origin of defeat

1
C14: from Old French desfait, from desfaire to undo, ruin, from des- dis- 1 + faire to do, from Latin facere

Derived forms of defeat

  • defeater, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012