What does "defeat" mean?
The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss.
Defeat
/dɪˈfiːt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss.
- Grammar: defeat is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: overcome, answer, answer conclusively, argue down.
- Useful contrasts: cultural triumph, prevailing, achievement.
- Usage evidence: The manager threw in the towel in defeat and planned how to win the next game.
How to use "defeat"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "defeat" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "defeat" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "defeat" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "defeat" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "defeat" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "overcome" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "defeat", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss. countable, uncountable
"Licking their wounds after a temporary defeat, they planned their next move."
- 2 an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest wordnet
- 3 The act or instance of defeating, of overcoming, vanquishing. countable, uncountable
"The inscription records her defeat of the country's enemies in a costly war."
- 4 the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals wordnet
- 5 Frustration (by prevention of success), stymieing; (law) nullification. countable, uncountable
"... 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."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Destruction, ruin. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"and made defeat of her virginity"
Verb
- 1 To overcome in battle or contest. transitive
"Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo."
- 2 win a victory over wordnet
- 3 To reduce, to nothing, the strength of. transitive
"He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes."
- 4 thwart the passage of wordnet
- 5 To nullify transitive
"The escheators […] defeated the right heir of his succession."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 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."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The manager threw in the towel in defeat and planned how to win the next game."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "defeat"?
Common synonyms include: overcome, answer, answer conclusively, argue down, back, baffle.
How do you use "defeat" in a sentence?
The manager threw in the towel in defeat and planned how to win the next game.
How do you pronounce "defeat"?
Pronounced /dɪˈfiːt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.
Etymology 2
From Middle English defet, from French deffet, desfait, past participle of the verb desfaire (compare modern French défaire), from des- + faire.