defeat

American  

[dih-feet] / dɪˈfit /

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.

   Synonyms:

   subdue, rout, overthrow, overwhelm

2. to frustrate; thwart.

   Synonyms:

   balk, baffle, foil

3. to eliminate or deprive of something expected.

   The early returns defeated his hopes of election.

4. 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.

3. an overthrow or overturning; vanquishment.

   the defeat of a government.

   Synonyms:

   downfall

4. a bringing to naught; frustration.

   the defeat of all his hopes and dreams.

5. the act or event of being bested; a beating.

   Defeat is not something she abides easily.

6. Archaic. undoing; destruction; ruin.

defeat British  

/ dɪˈfiːt /

verb

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

3. law to render null and void; annul

---

noun

1. the act of defeating or state of being defeated

2. an instance of defeat

3. overthrow or destruction

4. 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. 

Related Words

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

• defeater noun
• nondefeat noun
• predefeat noun
• redefeat verb

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”

Example Sentences

Sydney is on track to be a 14th defeat in 28 matches since then.

From BBC

When they do come to bat, it will take a remarkable rearguard to avoid a fourth defeat of a desperately disappointing series.

From BBC

“It’s a defeat for Cuba and denotes its weakening, highlighting vulnerabilities in its security procedures,” said María Werlau, author of “Cuba’s Intervention in Venezuela,” a book published in 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal

The world number four has not played a tour match since he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the Athens final in early November.

From Barron's

The day after Celtic's League Cup final defeat, O'Neill said he would "happily have stayed on", saying of his interim stint: "Thankfully, I don't think I messed it up."

From BBC

Related Words

• beating
• blow
• breakdown
• collapse
• debacle
• destruction
• drubbing
• embarrassment
• failure
• killing
• loss
• massacre
• rout
• setback
• thrashing
• triumph