Meaning of the word defeat in English

What does defeat mean in English? Explore the meaning, pronunciation, and specific usage of this word with Lingoland.

defeat

US /dɪˈfiːt/

UK /dɪˈfiːt/

win a victory over (someone) in a battle or other contest; overcome or vanquish.

Example:

•

The army managed to defeat the enemy forces.

•

She was determined to defeat her opponent in the chess match.

Synonym:

overcome vanquish conquer rout subdue

Antonym:

lose surrender fail

frustrate (someone) by causing their plans or efforts to fail.

Example:

•

His attempts to escape were defeated by the strong security.

•

The bad weather defeated our plans for a picnic.

Synonym:

frustrate thwart foil balk derail

Antonym:

facilitate assist enable

an act of defeating; a victory.

Example:

•

The team celebrated their decisive defeat of their rivals.

•

It was a crushing defeat for the defending champions.

Synonym:

loss beating rout drubbing overthrow

Antonym:

victory triumph success

Related Word:

snatch victory from the jaws of defeat