defeat

Meaning

Verb

1. To overcome in battle or contest.
2. To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
3. To nullify
4. To prevent (something) from being achieved.

Noun

1. The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss.
2. The act or instance of defeating, of overcoming, vanquishing.
3. Frustration (by prevention of success), stymieing; (law) nullification.
4. (obsolete) Destruction, ruin.

Synonyms

beat

overcome

conquer

vanquish

win

failure

subdue

rout

loss

overthrow

destroy

overpower

kill

🔪🩸👤

discomfiture

win over

ruin

overwhelm

master

frustrate

surpass

frustration

knock down

crush

surmount

fight

smash

vanquishment

licking

whip

refute

trounce

strike

foil

triumph

😤

slaughter

overturn

bring down

beat out

able to

succeed

lick

clobber

excel

lose

get the better of

conquest

losing

argue against

can

discomfit

demolish

hit

fail

best

defeated

downfall

overpowering

attack

👊

shoot down

knockdown

drub

beating

defeasance

mistake

defeating

breakdown

subjugation

nullify

exceed

oppose

outclass

outdo

combat

tear

outscore

outshine

compete

outwit

tussle

shoot

confound

violate

vote down

vote out

worst

butcher

predominate

finish off

devastate

gain a victory

floor

prevail over

quell

triumph over

stop

🛑

miscarriage

baffle

contradict

be victorious

scupper

capture

block

dominate

outsmart

outstrip

overbear

override

overtake

pass

pass through

play

prevent

prostrate

pull down

put to bed

quash

quiet

quiten

racket

ram

🐏

recession

red

remove

retreat

reverse

sacrifice

scoop

scowl

setback

shatter

shell

🐚

shellacking

shoot dead

shutout

silence

sit down

skunk

🦨

slap

slather

slay

smite

snooker

soothe

spike

spoil

squeeze

stamp out

still

struggle

stultify

subjection

subjugate

subjugating

submission

subvert

succumbing

surrender

swing

tackle

take

take down

thrash

thrashing

thwart

top

🔝

topple

tranquilize

trim

trip

undermine

upset

use up

victory

waterloo

weaken

whop

wreck

yield

beat off

be defeated

cause to fall

closing price

kick down

make fall

throw into confusion

beat someone

rise above

losing a war

lost battle

defeature

abuse

fatigue

triumphed over

colonizatin

licking subjugation

thump out

triump over

whip overwhelm

knock-out blow

render fruitless

victory over

being routed

obtain victory over

finish first

reduce to dust

scomfit

abase

abolish

against

annul

appease

assuage

avenge

bafflement

bag

bang

bash

bat

🦇

bear

🐻

bear down

belie

belt

blunder

bondage

break

break-down

butchering

calm

cancel

carom

casualty

check

chop

clout

collapse

confront

confute

conquering

contest

contradiction

counter

counterplot

cover

cross

cross over

cut off

debilitate

defeats

defray

degeneracy

degradation

denial

depose

depress

diffidence

dig up

disable

disappoint

disarrange

disaster

discourage

dishearten

disprove

down

drive

drop

drubbing

earn

eliminate

enervate

enfeeble

escape

excavate

execute

exhaust

face

fall

fell

finish

flatten

fleeing

flop

gainsay

giving up

go beyond

go through

grub

hack

hammer

🔨

hamper

hinder

humiliate

impede

indiscretion

injury

irritate

knock

knuckle under

leave

liquidate

massacre

mint

mortify

nail

negligence

obstruct

outmaneuver

outplay

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɪˈfiːt/

Etymology

From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.