defeat
To overcome in battle or contest.
Verb 4 meanings
To overcome in battle or contest.
“Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.”
To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
To nullify
To prevent (something) from being achieved.
Noun 3 meanings
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.”
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.
Etymology
From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.
Similar and opposite words
DEFEAT at a glance
DEFEAT has 6 letters and scores 10 points in Scrabble (D 2 + E 1 + F 4 + E 1 + A 1 + T 1) and 10 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #2,876 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with defeat
All rhymesOne letter away
- DEFECT12
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