Definitions for: Defeat


[n] an unsuccessful ending
[n] the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals
[v] win a victory over; "You must overcome all difficulties"; "defeat your enemies"; "He overcame his shyness"; "She conquered here fear of mice"; "He overcame his infirmity"
[v] thwart the passage of; "kill a motion"



Webster (1913) Definition: De*feat", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Defeated; p. pr. & vb.
n. Defeating.] [From F. d['e]fait, OF. desfait, p. p. ofe
d['e]faire, OF. desfaire, to undo; L. dis- + facere to do.
See Feat, Fact, and cf. Disfashion.]
1. To undo; to disfigure; to destroy. [Obs.]

His unkindness may defeat my life. --Shak.

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

He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being
that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all
his hopes. --Tillotson.

The escheators . . . defeated the right heir of his
succession. --Hallam.

In one instance he defeated his own purpose. --A. W.
Ward.

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

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

Sharp reasons to defeat the law. --Shak.

Syn: To baffle; disappoint; frustrate.


De*feat", n. [Cf. F. d['e]faite, fr. d['e]faire. See
Defeat, v.]
1. An undoing or annulling; destruction. [Obs.]

Upon whose property and most dear life A damned
defeat was made. --Shak.

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

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

Synonyms: frustration, kill, licking, overcome, vote down, vote out

Antonyms: triumph, victory

See Also: beat, beat out, blackball, come through, conclusion, conquer, crush, debacle, demolish, destroy, disappointment, down, drubbing, ending, expel, finish, get over, get the best, have the best, letdown, lurch, make it, master, negative, nose, pull round, pull through, rout, rout, rout out, shell, skunk, slaughter, subdue, surmount, survive, thrashing, trounce, trouncing, upset, vanquish, veto, wallop, walloping, Waterloo, whipping

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