Defeat Definition
dĭ-fēt
defeated, defeating, defeats
verb
defeated, defeating, defeats
To win victory over; overcome; beat.
Webster's New World
To prevent the success of; thwart.
Internal strife defeats the purpose of teamwork.
American Heritage
To bring to nothing; frustrate.
Defeating our plans.
Webster's New World
To frustrate the enforcement of (a motion, for example).
American Heritage
To make null and void.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- drive to the wall
- trample under foot
- trample in the dust
- mow-down
- chew-up
- mop-up
- outgeneral
- roll-back
- obliterate
- decimate
- wipe out
- split-up
- put to flight
- countermine
- swamp
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noun
defeats
The act of defeating, or gaining victory.
Webster's New World
The fact of being defeated.
Webster's New World
Frustration.
Webster's New World
The act of overcoming or frustrating the enforcement of.
American Heritage
Nullification.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
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Origin of Defeat
-
Middle English defeten from defet disfigured from Old French desfait past participle of desfaire to destroy from Medieval Latin disfacere to destroy, mutilate, undo Latin dis- dis- Latin facere to do dhē- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
from Old French desfait, from the verb desfaire Latin des + faciō (to unmake).
From Wiktionary
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