defeat
word
/dɪˈfit/
di-FEET
/dɪfˈiːt/
di-FEET
Definition
As a noun, it means a loss in a game, fight, election, or other competition. As a verb, it means to win against someone or something.
Usage & Nuances
Common in sports, politics, war, and formal writing. As a noun, it often appears in phrases like 'suffer a defeat' or 'admit defeat'. As a verb, 'defeat' sounds stronger and more formal than 'beat', which is more common in everyday speech.
Spanish: derrota - vencerPortuguese (BR): derrota - derrotarPortuguese (PT): derrota - derrotarChinese (Simplified): 失败 - 击败Chinese (Traditional): 失敗 - 擊敗Hindi: हार - हरानाArabic: هزيمة - يهزمBengali: পরাজয় - পরাজিত করাRussian: поражение - победитьJapanese: 敗北（はいぼく） - 打ち負かすVietnamese: thất bại - đánh bạiKorean: 패배 - 물리치다Turkish: yenilgi - yenmekUrdu: شکست - شکست دیناIndonesian: kekalahan - mengalahkan
Example Sentences
Our team faced defeat in the final game.
basic
No one expected the smaller company to defeat its biggest rival.
natural
The army could not defeat the enemy.
basic
She did not want to admit defeat.
basic
We were close to defeat, but somehow we turned the game around.
natural
After months of arguing, he finally admitted defeat and asked for help.
natural