defeat
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
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.
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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
-
the act of defeating or state of being defeated
-
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:
Motherwell have the same possible opponents should they defeat HJK Helsinki of Finland.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
"We cannot leave anything just because of one bad person - defeat is not an option," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
One person says, with defeat, “All I managed today was beans on toast.”
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Halstead was disappointed: “The fact of the convention was the defeat of Seward rather than the nomination of Lincoln. It was the triumph of a presumption of availability over pre-eminence in intellect and unrivaled fame.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Well, fool magic runs in my family, and my father used it to defeat a bunch of monsters and marry a princess.”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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
Like any political operative, he had his share of defeats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
At that point he looked on the verge of one of the biggest shock defeats in heavyweight history, with the long-awaited Tyson Fury fight hanging by a thread.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
It was one of the most devastating defeats of the Civil War.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
“You have to say that it was an act of total evil. But it was also one of the most successful Arab victories since Hattin in 1187, when Saladin defeated the Crusaders and took Jerusalem.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
TPOR’s previous poll, fielded just after the May 26 runoff in which Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn, found Talarico leading 47% to 44%.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
It was a second consecutive visit for the Dodgers, who defeated the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series and were honored by Trump the following April.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
In the pool, South Africa's Chad Le Clos was one of the biggest draws in 2014 after he defeated his hero, American legend Michael Phelps, in the 200m butterfly at the London Olympics.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
And fifteen-year-old Fischer firmly believed that if he were given a chance to meet Mikhail Botvinnik, the World Champion, the Soviet player would be defeated.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
After turning professional he made up for lost time by beating Junaid Bostan to win the English light-middleweight title, then defeating Ishmael Davis to become British and Commonwealth champion.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
She has proven a formidable adversary for Democrats for 30 years, most recently defeating a better-funded opponent in 2020 despite polls showing her trailing right up to election day.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
He wants to win, obviously, but his joy comes from playing the game well rather than defeating another team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
But you can still watch a sizzle reel of Argentina defeating Egypt and follow Switzerland vs.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
He insists he has some insight into defeating Camp Jupiter.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
