defeat

1 of 2

verb

de·​feat di-ˈfēt 

dē-

defeated; defeating; defeats

transitive verb

1

: to win victory over : beat

defeated their archrivals in the championship game

The bill was defeated in the Senate.

2

a

: frustrate sense 2a(1)

defeat a hope

b

law : nullify

defeat an estate

3

obsolete : destroy

… his unkindness may defeat my life …

—Shakespeare

defeatable

di-ˈfē-tə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

defeat

2 of 2

noun

1

: frustration by nullification or by prevention of success

The bill suffered defeat in the Senate.

2

a

: an overthrow especially of an army in battle

celebrate their defeat of the enemy

b

: the loss of a contest

his first defeat as a professional boxer

3

obsolete : destruction

… upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made.

—Shakespeare

Synonyms

Verb

• beat
• best
• conquer
• dispatch
• do down [British]
• get
• get around
• lick
• master
• overbear
• overcome
• overmatch
• prevail (over)
• skunk
• stop
• subdue
• surmount
• take
• trim
• triumph (over)
• upend
• win (against)
• worst

Noun

• beating
• drubbing
• licking
• loss
• lump
• overthrow
• plastering
• rout
• shellacking
• trimming
• trouncing
• whipping

Choose the Right Synonym for defeat

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy.

conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of defeat in a Sentence

Verb

We must be ready to defeat our enemies in battle.

Our candidate defeated him in the last election.

She finally found a solution to a problem that had defeated many other researchers.

The bill was defeated in the state senate.

Scientists from around the world are working to defeat the disease.

Noun

We weren't prepared for defeat.

One small error could make the difference between success and defeat.

After several tries we were forced to accept defeat.

They celebrated their defeat of the enemy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The moment transpired seven months after the Liberty defeated the Minessota Lynx in a riveting five-game WNBA Finals. —Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025

But 19 months after the war in Gaza began, Israel has failed to either defeat Hamas or free all of the captives. —Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 17 May 2025

Noun

Los Blancos sped up talks after their 4-3 defeat to Barcelona on May 11, which effectively ended hopes of retaining their La Liga title this season. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 17 May 2025

The government has suffered legal defeats on a range of issues including the firing of probationary federal workers, freezing of billions in foreign aid and a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English defeten, defaiten "to ruin, destroy, nullify," in part verbal derivative of defet "disfigured, null and void (in law)," borrowed from Anglo-French defait, defet, desfet, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, put an end to, destroy, nullify," from de-, des- de- + faire "to do, make," going back to Latin facere; in part borrowed from Anglo-French defeter, derivative of defet — more at fact

Noun

in part noun derivative of defeat entry 1, in part borrowed from Middle French defaite, noun derivative from feminine of defait, past participle of defaire, desfaire "to undo, destroy, kill" — more at defeat entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing defeat

• admit defeat
• concede defeat
• defeat the purpose of
• go down to defeat
• in defeat
• the jaws of defeat

Rhymes for defeat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

defeat

1 of 2 verb

de·​feat di-ˈfēt 

1

: to destroy the value or effect of

the lawyers defeated the will

2

: to win a victory over

defeated their team

defeatable

-ˈfēt-ə-bəl 

adjective

defeat

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or an instance of making ineffective by prevention of success

the bill suffered defeat by Congress

the defeat of one's hopes

2

a

: an overthrow of an army in battle

b

: loss of a contest (as by a team)

Legal Definition

defeat

transitive verb

de·​feat

1

a

: to render null

third parties will defeat an attached but “unperfected” security interest

—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

b

: to prevent or undo the effectiveness or establishment of

defeat jurisdiction

defendant took stand and defeated intoxication defense

—National Law Journal

2

a

: to prevail over

b

: to thwart the claim of

defeat creditors

an intent to defeat the surviving spouse of his…elective share

—Tennessee Code Annotated

defeat noun

Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French defait, past participle of defaire to undo, defeat, from Old French deffaire, desfaire, from de-, prefix marking reversal of action + faire to do