vanquished

adjective

van·​quished ˈvaŋ-kwisht 

ˈvan-

: overcome or defeated in battle or in a conflict or contest

a vanquished foe

In the dim light he could see Leslie's face freeze into its most queenly pose—the kind of expression she usually reserved for vanquished enemies.

—Katherine Paterson

When this morning race was over, the Brown oarsmen waited at their boat house for their vanquished competitors to come around and hand over their rowing shirts, each with its distinctive colors and design.

—William N. Wallace

Exiting at 35th Street, we pass the new Comiskey Park with its vanquished predecessor now reduced to a placeless parking complex across the street …

—Thomas J. Jablonsky

Examples of vanquished in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There were back-to-back prime-time speeches by two of former President Donald Trump’s vanquished primary challengers, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). —W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 July 2024

Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, representing the vanquished enemy, will also attend in a show of Europe’s reconciliation. —Peter Baker, New York Times, 4 June 2024

Meanwhile, despite Xi’s claims of having vanquished poverty, most Chinese continue to struggle to make ends meet. —Cai Xia, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022

Its fans will understandably celebrate, and the fans of its vanquished opponents will mourn. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above