vanquished

adjective

van·​quished ˈvaŋ-kwisht How to pronounce vanquished (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first, which was not part of the Venice installation, is a monumental bronze sculpture made at the turn of the 20th century by Charles Carey Ramsey, titled The Dying Indian, which belongs to a tradition of works that seemed to speak to a level of nobility among the vanquished Native Americans. Tom Teicholz, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 And in the vanquished states, people scrabbled for existence amid starvation and humiliation. Max Hastings, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2013 With the emphasis on ‘vanquished’, or as the title indicates, ‘dying’. Tom Teicholz, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 Or, as Philadelphia Eagles fans would have it, go lubricate the lampposts with the tears of their vanquished rivals. Michael Silver, New York Times, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for vanquished

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vanquished was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Vanquished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanquished. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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