DEFEAT
Dictionary entry overview: What does defeat mean?
• DEFEAT (noun)
The noun DEFEAT has 2 senses:
1. an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
2. the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals
Familiarity information: DEFEAT used as a noun is rare.
• DEFEAT (verb)
The verb DEFEAT has 2 senses:
1. win a victory over
2. thwart the passage of
Familiarity information: DEFEAT used as a verb is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• DEFEAT (noun)
Meaning:
An unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Synonyms:
defeat; licking
Context examples:
it was a narrow defeat / the army's only defeat / they suffered a convincing licking
Hypernyms ("defeat" is a kind of...):
conclusion; ending; finish (event whose occurrence ends something)
failure (an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "defeat"):
rout (an overwhelming defeat)
lurch (a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage))
shutout; skunk (a defeat in a game where one side fails to score)
debacle; drubbing; slaughter; thrashing; trouncing; walloping; whipping (a sound defeat)
waterloo (a final crushing defeat)
whitewash (a defeat in which the losing person or team fails to score)
Antonym:
victory (a successful ending of a struggle or contest)
Meaning:
The feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
frustration; defeat
Hypernyms ("defeat" is a kind of...):
disappointment; letdown (a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized)
• DEFEAT (verb)
Meaning:
Win a victory over
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Synonyms:
overcome; get the better of; defeat
Context examples:
You must overcome all difficulties / defeat your enemies / He overcame his shyness / She conquered here fear of mice / He overcame his infirmity / Her anger got the better of her and she blew up
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "defeat"):
get over; master; overcome; subdue; surmount (get on top of; deal with successfully)
expel; rout; rout out (cause to flee)
upset (defeat suddenly and unexpectedly)
nose (defeat by a narrow margin)
conquer (overcome by conquest)
get the best; have the best; overcome (overcome, usually through no fault or weakness of the person that is overcome)
lurch; skunk (defeat by a lurch)
overrun (seize the position of and defeat)
down (bring down or defeat (an opponent))
wallop (defeat soundly and utterly)
beat; beat out; crush; shell; trounce; vanquish (come out better in a competition, race, or conflict)
demolish; destroy (defeat soundly)
come through; make it; pull round; pull through; survive (continue in existence after (an adversity, etc.))
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Sentence example:
The fighter managed to defeat his opponent
Meaning:
Thwart the passage of
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
vote down; vote out; defeat; kill; shoot down
Context examples:
kill a motion / he shot down the student's proposal
Hypernyms (to "defeat" is one way to...):
blackball; negative; veto (vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
