Definitions for defeat
dɪˈfitde·feat

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. defeat, licking(noun)

   an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

   "it was a narrow defeat"; "the army's only defeat"; "they suffered a convincing licking"

2. frustration, defeat(verb)

   the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals

3. get the better of, overcome, defeat(verb)

   win a victory over

   "You must overcome all difficulties"; "defeat your enemies"; "He overcame his shyness"; "He overcame his infirmity"; "Her anger got the better of her and she blew up"

4. kill, shoot down, defeat, vote down, vote out(verb)

   thwart the passage of

   "kill a motion"; "he shot down the student's proposal"

Wiktionary(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. defeat(Noun)

   The act of defeating or being defeated

   Etymology: from desfait, from the verb desfaire des + faciō (to unmake).

2. defeat(Verb)

   To overcome in battle or contest.

   Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.

   Etymology: from desfait, from the verb desfaire des + faciō (to unmake).

3. defeat(Verb)

   To destroy, ruin, undo, lay waste to.

   Etymology: from desfait, from the verb desfaire des + faciō (to unmake).

4. defeat(Verb)

   To nullify; to reduce, to nothing, the strength of.

   Etymology: from desfait, from the verb desfaire des + faciō (to unmake).

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Defeat(verb)

   to undo; to disfigure; to destroy

   Etymology: [Cf. F. dfaite, fr. dfaire. See Defeat, v.]

2. Defeat(verb)

   to render null and void, as a title; to frustrate, as hope; to deprive, as of an estate

   Etymology: [Cf. F. dfaite, fr. dfaire. See Defeat, v.]

3. Defeat(verb)

   to overcome or vanquish, as an army; to check, disperse, or ruin by victory; to overthrow

   Etymology: [Cf. F. dfaite, fr. dfaire. See Defeat, v.]

4. Defeat(verb)

   to resist with success; as, to defeat an assault

   Etymology: [Cf. F. dfaite, fr. dfaire. See Defeat, v.]

5. Defeat

   an undoing or annulling; destruction

   Etymology: [Cf. F. dfaite, fr. dfaire. See Defeat, v.]

6. Defeat

   frustration by rendering null and void, or by prevention of success; as, the defeat of a plan or design

   Etymology: [Cf. F. dfaite, fr. dfaire. See Defeat, v.]

7. Defeat

   an overthrow, as of an army in battle; loss of a battle; repulse suffered; discomfiture; -- opposed to victory

   Etymology: [Cf. F. dfaite, fr. dfaire. See Defeat, v.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Defeat

   de-fēt′, v.t. to frustrate: to ruin.—n. a frustration of plans: ruin: overthrow, as of an army in battle.—n. Defeat′ure (Spens.), defeat: disfigurement, disguise. [O. Fr. defait, defaire, to undo—L. dis, neg. facĕre, to do.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. defeat

   This word expresses the complete want of success of an army; a repulse signifying less, and a rout more, than defeat.

2. defeat

   To resist with success; as, to defeat an assault.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'defeat' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3245

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'defeat' in Nouns Frequency: #1306

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'defeat' in Verbs Frequency: #623

How to pronounce defeat?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say defeat in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of defeat in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of defeat in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of defeat in a Sentence

1. David Rudisha:

   I am shocked by the defeat but I am happy to have made the team.

2. The US diplomat:

   I think many countries' faith in the US as a reliable partner have been shaken by the damage President Donald Trump has done, not just to The US diplomat democracy and institutions, but to multilateral institutions as well, president Donald Trump still has two months in which President Donald Trump can inflict damage( even if temporary). And the reluctance to admit defeat and start a peaceful transfer of power is being noted with dismay by democratic allies and with barely concealed glee by countries like Russia, China, and Turkey.

3. Bob Reish:

   We will always make mistakes. The question we need to ask is: " Do our mistakes lead to defeat or are they a down payment toward success?" Learning from our mistakes is the best investment we can make in achieving maximum success

4. Jerome Cohen:

   It's a sad thing to see people put before the television and other media, before they have been even formally arrested, it's a pathetic thing and will defeat any chance the Chinese government has of trying to have a good reputation.

5. Eric Shahan:

   If your mind is in a jumble before battle, defeat would be certain. There could certainly be a connection to the eyes of the heart in the sense that you need to allow your body to react freely and unconsciously to the opponents attack.

Images & Illustrations of defeat

Popularity rank by frequency of use