defeated
Americanadjective
-
relating to or being the loser in a contest, election, battle, etc.; overcome or vanquished.
For several days in succession, fragments of the defeated army straggled through the town.
-
frustrated, foiled, or thwarted, as plans, dreams, etc..
He could not shake off a feeling of acute disappointment, of defeated hopes.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defeated
First recorded in 1575–85; defeat ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; defeat ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
He defeated the more combative congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary, promising a "politics of love."
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
The pound-for-pound star, who defeated former kickboxing world champion Rico Verhoeven in May, has indicated he wants one final contest before retirement.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
After America defeated the Marianas’ colonial ruler in the Spanish-American War, it wanted a base to project power over the western Pacific.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026
But Sánchez, who became prime minister in 2018, has defeated the odds before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
I wasn’t as convinced that the chupacabras could be defeated with stakes and holy water.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.