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:
But some experts believe a new strategy emerging from his administration could avert a more consequential defeat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Martinez missed Wednesday's Super Cup defeat to Paris St-Germain with Unai Emery giving him, along with Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins, a month off after the World Cup.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The fallout from Austria’s defeat in World War I gave a first taste of class consciousness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Fofana was arguably the fall guy for many supporters, not helped by footage of him laughing on the bench during a heavy Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain in March.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
According to the saints, God needed her help to defeat the English.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Speaking on ABC, commentator Jim Maxwell described the result as one of the most "embarrassing defeats that Australia have ever suffered in Test cricket".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Emery has suffered defeats by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea - the first two with Sevilla, and then losing on penalties to the Blues in Dublin with Villarreal in 2021.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
About the 10th or 12th time Spidey defeats a gaggle of adversaries by wrapping them up in webs, this series seems entangled in its own predictability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
In March, the company suffered defeats in landmark court cases in California and New Mexico that accused it of giving priority to growth over the safety of its underage users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Most of the world’s most renowned masters had visited the club—it was steeped in the echoes of legendary games, epic battles, hard-fought victories, and heartfelt defeats.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Still, it’s clear the organization hasn’t been defeated or deterred, and its hold on Hormuz has strengthened its regional position, they said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Mr. Jenkins has hit on the way global warming will be defeated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Castillo defeated Clarissa Cervantes in 2024 by nearly 600 votes to represent parts of Riverside County and San Bernardino County.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Despite public and private polling showing double-digit leads for El-Sayed heading into the night, he defeated Stevens by just 1 percentage point.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
The Scots tried to carry out their part of the bargain, but in August 1648 their forces were defeated at Preston, and on 30 January the following year Charles I was executed.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Hichilema himself won office in 2021 on his sixth attempt, defeating arch-rival Edgar Lungu in a landslide.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
One of his proudest moments was defeating a Brazil team on its home soil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Already England’s top-rated female player, the prodigy secured the title in a dramatic rapid-chess playoff—adding to a trailblazing run that already included defeating multiple grandmasters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
After defeating 46-year-old Wach in Pattaya, the question of whether Fury would show up to watch Joshua became a subplot of fight night.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
But that would be defeating the purpose of the exercise.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
