defeat
Part of speech: verb
noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.
Inflected forms:
form: defeats
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: defeating
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: past
form: no-table-tags
pos: verb
tags: table-tags
form: glossary
pos: verb
tags: inflection-template
form: defeat
pos: verb
tags: infinitive
form: defeat
pos: verb
tags: first-person
present
singular
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: first-person
past
singular
form: defeat
pos: verb
tags: present
second-person
singular
form: defeatest
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
second-person
singular
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: past
second-person
singular
form: defeatedst
pos: verb
tags: archaic
past
second-person
singular
form: defeats
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: defeateth
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
singular
third-person
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: past
singular
third-person
form: defeat
pos: verb
tags: plural
present
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: past
plural
form: defeat
pos: verb
tags: present
subjunctive
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: past
subjunctive
form: defeat
pos: verb
tags: imperative
present
form: -
pos: verb
tags: imperative
past
form: defeating
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: defeated
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: defeats
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: To overcome in battle or contest.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
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.
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.
The 36-year-old defeats US Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a fiery 44-year-old Democrat from the Dallas area, in a contentious primary that became increasingly personal.
gloss: To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes.
In one instance he defeated his own purpose.
gloss: To nullify
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: The escheators […] defeated the right heir of his succession.
gloss: To prevent (something) from being achieved.
pos: verb
examples: 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.
gloss: The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Licking their wounds after a temporary defeat, they planned their next move.
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.
gloss: The act or instance of defeating, of overcoming, vanquishing.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: The inscription records her defeat of the country's enemies in a costly war.
gloss: Frustration (by prevention of success), stymieing; (law) nullification.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: ... 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.
She could see no justice in being forced into a position that promised to end in further humiliation and defeat of her hopes.
gloss: Destruction, ruin.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: and made defeat of her virginity
Synonyms: vanquish
overcome
beat
bring down
convince
chew up
eat someone for breakfast
eat someone's lunch
flog
humble
kick ass
malavogue
murdelize
outfox
outguess
outrun
outsmart
outwit
overpower
overwin
own
pulverise
pwn
rape
reduce
spank
steal the show
subdue
subvert
surmount
thrash
trounce
Antonyms: bite the dust
capitulate
eat someone's dust
forfeit
give up
lose
strike one's flag
surrender
relinquish
wave the white flag
yield
victory
Related words: defeasance
defeasible
defeater
defeatism
defeatist
defeature
Derived words: defeatable
defeatingly
defeat the purpose
redefeat
self-defeating
undefeatability
undefeatable
admit defeat
defeatican
defeatless
defeatocrat
snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
social defeat
Translations: