defeat
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.
Verb
defeat (third-person singular simple present defeats, present participle defeating, simple past and past participle defeated)
- (transitive) To overcome in battle or contest.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:defeat
- Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
- 1917, Samuel Couling, “Japanese Relations with China”, in The Encyclopaedia Sinica, Literature House, Ltd., published 1964, →OCLC, page 255, column 2:
- The Japanese defeated the Ming general Tsu Chʻeng-hsün 祖承訓 at Pʻing jang 平壤 in 1592, the first year of Bunroku 文祿 of Japan, and the fighting continued for some years; but at Hideyoshi's death the Japanese troops left Korea.
- 1980 August 1 [1980 May 1], Ching-kuo Chiang, “President Chiang Ching-kuo continues his period of mourning and finds that visits to countryside and people give him renewed strength”, in Taiwan Today, archived from the original on 17 May 2020:
- My personal success or failure is insignificant; the rise or fall of the nation is my responsibility and must not be shirked. Upon introspection, I feel I am firmer than ever in confidence that the Communists will be defeated. These are feelings which will comfort Father's soul in Heaven.
- (transitive) To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
- 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], 8th edition, London: […] T. Goodwin, B[enjamin] Tooke, and J. Pemberton, […]; J. Round […], and J[acob] Tonson] […], published 1720, →OCLC:
- He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes.
- 1879, Adolphus Ward, “Chaucer”, in English Men of Letters:
- In one instance he defeated his own purpose.
- (transitive) To nullify
- 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
- The escheators […] defeated the right heir of his succession.
- To prevent (something) from being achieved.
- 1962 January, “Motive Power Miscellany: London Midland Region: Central Lines”, in Modern Railways, page 60:
- 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
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Related terms
Translations
to overcome in battle or contest
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to reduce, to nothing, the strength of
Etymology 2
From Middle English defet, from French deffet, desfait, past participle of the verb desfaire (compare modern French défaire), from des- + faire.
Noun
defeat (countable and uncountable, plural 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.
- 2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
- Two defeats in five games coming into this contest, and a draw with Everton, ultimately cost Sir Alex Ferguson's side in what became the most extraordinary finale to the league championship since Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield in 1989.
- 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.
- 1909, The Southern Reporter, page 250:
- ... 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.
- 2008, Gene Porter, A Daughter of the Land, volume 1, →ISBN, page 17:
- She could see no justice in being forced into a position that promised to end in further humiliation and defeat of her hopes.
- (obsolete) Destruction, ruin.
- 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
- and made defeat of her virginity
Antonyms
Derived terms
Collocations
Collocations
- admit defeat
- concede defeat
- crushing defeat
- humiliating defeat
Translations
the act of being defeated, of losing
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the act of defeating, of overcoming or winning against
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked: "the act of defeating or being defeated"
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Anagrams
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