defeat
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defeat¹
- /dɪˈfiːt/ UK
- /dɪˈfit/ Canada, US
- /diˈfit/ Canada, US
- /dɪˈfiːt/ Australia
- [dɪˈfɪit] Australia
- [dɪˈfɪ̈it] Australia
- /dɪˈfiːt/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -iːt
Where it comes from
From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.
verb defeats · defeating · defeated · defeat
- To overcome in battle or contest. Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
- To reduce, to nothing, the strength of. He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes.
- To nullify The escheators […] defeated the right heir of his succession.
- To prevent (something) from being achieved. The last active L.Y.R. 0-6-0ST (apart from works shunters), No. 51408, has been moved from Bolton to Agecroft for use in New Bailey Yard, Salford, where a sharp 1 in 27 curve is said to have defeated all attempts so far to employ diesel shunters; an ex-L.Y.R. 0-4-0ST also works here.
Similar: vanquish, overcome, beat, bring down, convince, chew up, eat someone for breakfast, eat someone's lunch, flog, humble, kick ass, malavogue, murdelize, outfox, outguess, outrun, outsmart, outwit, overpower, overwin, own, pulverise, pwn, rape, reduce, spank, steal the show, subdue, subvert, surmount · Opposite: bite the dust, capitulate, eat someone's dust, forfeit, give up, lose, strike one's flag, surrender, relinquish, wave the white flag, yield
defeat²
- /dɪˈfiːt/ UK
- /dɪˈfit/ Canada, US
- /diˈfit/ Canada, US
- /dɪˈfiːt/ Australia
- [dɪˈfɪit] Australia
- [dɪˈfɪ̈it] Australia
- /dɪˈfiːt/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -iːt
Where it comes from
From Middle English defet, from French deffet, desfait, past participle of the verb desfaire (compare modern French défaire), from des- + faire.
noun defeats
- The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss. Licking their wounds after a temporary defeat, they planned their next move.
- The act or instance of defeating, of overcoming, vanquishing. The inscription records her defeat of the country's enemies in a costly war.
- Frustration (by prevention of success), stymieing; (law) nullification. ... is subsequently issued to him, in accordance with his perfect equity thus acquired, by a legal fiction which the law creates for the protection, but not for the defeat, of his title.
- Destruction, ruin. and made defeat of her virginity
Opposite: victory
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: overcome, kill, vote down, vote out, frustration, licking, vanquish, topple, fight, combating, overturn, subvert, circumvent, conquer, overthrow, overpower
verb
Similar: vanquish, overcome, beat, bring down, convince, chew up, eat someone for breakfast, eat someone's lunch, flog, humble, kick ass, malavogue, murdelize, outfox, outguess, outrun, outsmart, outwit, overpower, overwin, own, pulverise, pwn, rape, reduce, spank, steal the show, subdue, subvert, surmount · Opposite: bite the dust, capitulate, eat someone's dust, forfeit, give up, lose, strike one's flag, surrender, relinquish, wave the white flag, yield
noun
Opposite: victory
Translations
Every language
verb to overcome in battle or contest
| Español | derrotar, vencer, profligar, causear, despanchurrar, despachurrar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 이기다 igida, 패배시키다 paebaesikida |
| 日本語 | 負かす makasu, やっつける yattsukeru, 倒す taosu |
| 中文 | 打敗 /打败 dǎbài, 贏 /赢 yíng, 吊打 diàodǎ |
| हिन्दी | हराना harānā, जीतना jītnā |
| Português | derrotar, vencer |
| Français | vaincre, défaire |
| Deutsch | schlagen, besiegen, niederringen, bewältigen, bezwingen |
| Italiano | sconfiggere, battere, vincere |
| Ελληνικά | νικώ nikó, τσακίζω tsakízo |
| Română | învinge, înfrânge, bate |
| Русский | побежда́ть pobeždátʹ, победи́ть pobedítʹ, разбива́ть razbivátʹ, разби́ть razbítʹ, поража́ть poražátʹ, порази́ть porazítʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | đánh bại |
| العربية | غَلَبَ ḡalaba, هَزَمَ hazama |
| עברית | הֵבִיס hevís |
verb to reduce, to nothing, the strength of
| Español | derrotar, derribar |
|---|---|
| Français | contrecarrer, réduire à néant, anéantir |
| Deutsch | zunichtemachen |
| Ελληνικά | συντρίβω syntrívo, καταρρέω katarréo |
verb to nullify
| Ελληνικά | ματαιώνω mataióno |
|---|
noun the act of being defeated, of losing
| Español | derrota, vencimiento |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 패배 paebae, 짐 jim |
| 日本語 | 敗北 haiboku, 負け make |
| 中文 | 敗仗 /败仗 bàizhàng, 敗北 /败北 bàiběi |
| हिन्दी | हार hār, शिकस्त śikast, पराजय parājay |
| Português | derrota |
| Français | défaite |
| Deutsch | Niederlage |
| Italiano | sconfitta, disfatta |
| Ελληνικά | ήττα ítta |
| Română | înfrângere |
| Русский | пораже́ние poražénije |
| Tiếng Việt | sự thất bại |
| العربية | هَزِيمَة hazīma, مَغْلُوبِيَّة maḡlūbiyya |
| עברית | תְּבוּסָה t'vusá |
noun the act of defeating, of overcoming or winning against
| Español | derrota, vencimiento |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | हराना harānā, जीतना jītnā |
Talk about this word "defeat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/defeat. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. defeat. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/defeat "defeat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/defeat.Cite this
@misc{defeat_2026,
title = {defeat},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/defeat},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
