defeat
[ dih-feet ]
/ dɪˈfit /
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verb (used with object)
noun
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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
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Origin of defeat
1325–75; Middle English defeten (v.) <Anglo-French, Old French desfait, past participle of desfaire to undo, destroy <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 FROM defeat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use defeat in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for defeat
defeat
/ (dɪˈfiːt) /
verb (tr)
to overcome in a contest or competition; win a victory over
to thwart or frustratethis accident has defeated all his hopes of winning
law to render null and void; annul
noun
Derived forms of defeat
defeater, nounWord Origin for defeat
C14: from Old French desfait, from desfaire to undo, ruin, from des- dis- 1 + faire to do, from Latin facere
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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