What does defeat mean in English?

You can learn defeat Pronunciation, Grammar & Synonyms in this most authoritative English Dictionary.

defeat Meaning, Definition, Pronunciation, Grammar & Synonyms❤️

0 to win against someone in a fight, war, or competition:
- Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo.
- They defeated the Italian team and reached the final.
- The proposal to change the rules was narrowly defeated (= by a very small number) by 201 votes to 196.
- Our ambitions for this tournament have been defeated by the weather.
- I'm afraid anything that involves language learning has always defeated me (= I have been unable to do it).
1 the fact of losing against someone in a fight or competition, or when someone or something is made to fail:
- In the last election, they suffered a crushing/humiliating defeat.
- After their defeat in battle, the soldiers surrendered.
- She admitted/conceded defeat well before all the votes had been counted.
- I thought I could fix the radio myself, but I had to admit defeat.
2 to oppose and cause someone to lose in a competition or war so that you can win:
- Bill Clinton defeated George Bush for the presidency in 1992.
3 success in competition with an opponent, causing the opponent to lose so that you can win:
- [ U ] In the American Civil War, the North’s defeat of the South involved tremendous loss of life on both sides.
- [ C ] This was the team’s fifth straight defeat.

The French were defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
The team were overwhelmingly defeated in yesterday's game.
The North defeated the South in the American Civil War.
The bill was defeated in the Commons by 249 votes to 131.
The four-times champion was unexpectedly defeated in the second round of the competition.
The Democrats suffered a crushing defeat in the last election.
Her silence was taken as an admission of defeat.
He was famed for his stubborn resistance and his refusal to accept defeat.