defeat
Americanverb (used with object)
-
defeats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
defeated,
past participle, past
-
defeating
present participle
noun
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defeats
plural
-
the act of overcoming in a contest.
an overwhelming defeat of all opposition.
-
an instance of defeat; setback.
He considered his defeat a personal affront.
-
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:
“The Chinese have the ability to not just challenge but potentially defeat big portions of America’s traditional naval force, especially inside the first island chain and even outside the first island chain,” said Studeman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Both men were re-elected after those catastrophes by electorates that apparently didn’t castigate them personally for the failures and supported their subsequent efforts to defeat the enemy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
There was some mitigation the leader leaders surprise defeat on Sunday - their sixth in 10 matches in all competitions.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Aleksandar Vučiċ admitted defeat at exactly 21:30 on Sunday evening, just as Viktor Orbán did on 12 April.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Fischer had publicly announced before the tournament that there might be one player who could defeat him: Bronstein.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Beyond Tiznow, further consolation for California came earlier Saturday when the top jockey in the state, Juan Hernandez, got his first Cup win after 30 consecutive defeats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
There have been five other scores above 288 in the fourth innings at Newlands - all of which were made in defeats or when salvaging a draw.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Paul has won 12 of his 14 fights as a professional, with his two defeats coming against Tommy Fury and Joshua.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Serrano, who boasts a fight history of 50 wins, four defeats and one draw, will be seeking to break the all-time women's knockout record in her farewell bout.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
In pantomime, Chief Joyi would fling his spear and creep along the veld as he narrated the victories and defeats.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
IS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and then in Syria in 2019 by a US-led coalition.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Within minutes of the men's exit being confirmed on Sunday morning as Tonga defeated Samoa 20-18 in an epic, the RFL had announced a plan to map out the future of the English game.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Previous installments of the “X-Men” films are more typical of the superhero genre, with grand CGI battle sequences and a foe or foes that must be defeated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
The proposal was defeated, but it was successfully revived in 1996.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
He defeated the Romans at Antioch and when they begged for peace, he gave it to them.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
But defeating Lawler is a top priority for other Democrats, including Assemblymember Didi Barrett, who said she’d seen him be “a real jerk,” in the state assembly.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Open after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in a five-set semifinal.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Sam Farmer makes his picks and score predictions for Week 6 of the NFL season, with the Rams defeating the Cardinals and the Chargers falling to 0-6.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Henry Hobbs, Noah Hobbs, Ethan Vernon and Ollie Wood also won bronze for GB in the men's team pursuit, defeating France in the bronze medal ride-off.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
“A pair of boot lacings,” returned Jo, guessing and defeating his purpose.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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