defeat Hear it!

defeat Definition

de·feat (dē fēt′, di-)

transitive verb

  1. to win victory over; overcome; beat
  2. to bring to nothing; frustrate defeating our plans
  3. to make null and void
  4. Obsolete to undo; destroy

Etymology: ME defeten < defet, disfigured, null and void < OFr desfait, pp. of desfaire, to undo < ML disfacere, to deface, ruin < L dis-, from + facere, to do

noun

  1. the act of defeating, or gaining victory
  2. the fact of being defeated
  3. frustration
  4. nullification

Etymology: ME defet

defeat Synonyms

defeat

n.

  1. A state of being worsted

    loss, failure, downfall, disappointment; see sense 2, disappointment 2, failure 1, loss 1.

  2. Defeat in war

    repulse, reverse, rebuff, conquest, rout, overthrow, subjugation, subduing, vanquishment, destruction, breakdown, collapse, downfall, extermination, annihilation, crushing, check, trap, ambush, breakthrough, encirclement, withdrawal, pincer movement, setback, stalemate, ruin, blow, loss, fall, slaughter, butchery, massacre, debacle, Waterloo; see also sense 3; destruction 1.

    Antonyms triumph*, victory*, conquest. *

  3. Defeat in personal encounters and sport

    beating, whipping, thrashing, fall, count, drubbing, repulse, comedown, upset, frustration, checkmate, shutout, knockout, licking*, battering*, pasting*, trouncing*, walloping*, whaling*, thumping*, scalping*, trimming*, cropper*, black eye*, dud*, shellacking*, clobbering*, creaming*, slaughter*, massacre*, hiding*, whitewashing*, lacing*, KO*, no go*, the old one-two*; see also sense 2.

    Antonyms triumph*, victory*, success*.

defeat Synonyms

defeat

v.

  1. To get the better of another

    master, baffle, surmount, best, worst, undo, block, thwart, disconcert, frustrate, balk, spoil, nullify, neutralize, quell, subdue, overpower, crush, break, subjugate, vanquish, get the best of, triumph over, beat down, foil, outwit, puzzle, disappoint, contravene, circumvent, cross, checkmate, outargue, refute, outdo, overturn, rebut, expose, silence, overmatch, nonplus, counterplot, disprove, put an end to, invalidate, cast down, scatter to the winds, reduce to silence, be too much for, give the coup de gráce to, give a setback to, take the wind out of one's sails*, stump*, steamroller*, have by the short hairs*, lay by the heels*, cook one's goose*, put down*, euchre*; see also senses 2, 3; confute, win 1.

    Antonyms yield*, give up*, concede. *

  2. To worst in war

    overcome, vanquish, conquer, rout, entrap, subdue, overrun, prevail over, overthrow, subjugate, crush, smash, drive off, discomfit, annihilate, overwhelm, scatter, repulse, halt, reduce, outflank, finish off, encircle, slaughter, butcher, outmaneuver, ambush, repel, demolish, parry, sack, bomb, torpedo, sink, shipwreck, drown, swamp, countermine, put to flight, split up, wipe out, decimate, obliterate, roll back, outgeneral, mop up*, chew up*, mow down*, trample in the dust*, trample under foot*, drive to the wall*; see also senses 1, 3; destroy 1, ravage.

    Antonyms yield*, give up*, surrender. *

  3. To worst in sport or in personal combat

    beat, overpower, outplay, win, knock out, throw, floor, pummel, pound, flog, outhit, outrun, outjump, thrash, upset, edge out*, nose out*, shade*, lay low*, skin*, drub*, trim*, lick*, wallop*, trounce*, shellac*, whip*, cream*, clobber*, whomp*, zap*, clean up on*, beat up*, take*, KO*, scalp*, skin alive*, run roughshod over*, snooker*, put down*, take to the cleaners*, beat the socks off of*, beat the pants off of*, pulverize*, plow under*, smear*, massacre*, make mincemeat out of*, mop the floor with*, goose-egg*, hang a win on*, blank*, shut out*, skunk*, snow under*; see also senses 1, 2; beat 2.

    Antonyms suffer*, be defeated, fail.

defeat Usage Examples

Object

  • enemy: British law enforcement agencies must work together to defeat this common enemy.
  • foe: So nature was affected by the Fall and there is a real Devil - a foe, but a defeated foe.
  • terrorism: A Strategy to Defeat Terrorism Let me go back for a moment to frame the overall strategy we have been employing to defeat terrorism.

Converse of object

  • humiliate: Add to this Scotland's propensity to swing away from Labor in by-elections and the result was one of its most humiliating defeats.
  • inflict: Malta's Tony Brincat inflicted a rare defeat on the 2000 champion Joe Delaney.
  • concede: Schumacher has already effectively conceded defeat saying that he doesn't want to go to Brazil effectively pinning his hopes on an Alonso retirement.
  • avenge: Goodbrand came out fast, obviously looking to avenge the defeat a couple of weeks ago at the Noble Art Show.
  • crush: Only in Oldham did the BNP suffer a crushing defeat.
  • admit: Would you let your family suffer for the fact that you were too proud to admit defeat?

Adjective modifier

  • successive: We have just suffered our second successive landslide election defeat.
  • consecutive: On the plus side Swansea at least managed a result after five consecutive league defeats.
  • embarrassing: Or the one where they suffered an embarrassing defeat whilst being completely humiliated?
  • disastrous: After their disastrous defeat, Newcastle and Eythin fled to Scarborough and sailed to the continent, fearing that all was lost.
  • electoral: This led to the disaffiliation of the union from the party and electoral defeat for some of the union's leading figures.

Modifies a noun

malaria: Latest news Help defeat malaria in Africa ( 02/08/2006 ) Take part in research from home, and help defeat malaria with Africa@home.

Noun used with modifier

  • quarter-final: Beckham revealed his decision at England's final news conference in Germany in the wake of their World Cup quarter-final defeat by Portugal.
  • semi-final: That heartbreak followed the disappointment of narrowly missing a Wembley appearance after an FA trophy semi-final replay defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge.
  • derby: They go to west London eager to erase the pain of last Saturday's 3-0 derby day defeat at Everton.
  • by-election: Harold Wilson's governments also suffered some famous by-election defeats - in Oldham, Dudley, Glasgow and Walthamstow - in the 1960s.

Preposition: from

jaw: A couple more overs and we could have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Browse dictionary entries near defeat

  1. ‹ defeasible
  2. ‹ defeasance
  3. ‹ DefCon
  4. ‹ Defaults
  5. ‹ defaulter
  6. ‹ default risk
  7. ‹ default judgment
  8. ‹ default
  9. ‹ defat
  10. ‹ defang
  1. defeated ›
  2. defeatist ›
  3. defeature ›
  4. defecate ›
  5. defecation ›
  6. defect ›
  7. defection ›
  8. defective ›
  9. defeminize ›
  10. defence ›