defeat
Best in battle
Defeat is the loss of a contest, battle, or struggle.
An army suffers defeat when overwhelmed by its enemy.
A candidate concedes defeat after losing an election.
To defeat someone is to beat them: We defeated them 3-1.
To defeat a purpose or plan is to frustrate it, rendering it unsuccessful.
The adjective defeated describes someone demoralized by loss: He walked away with a defeated look.
Prevail against difficulty
- conquerOvercome by force
- prevailTo succeed ultimately
- triumphResounding, celebrated victory
- vanquishDefeat thoroughly in conflict
surmount · overpower · subdue · best · master · outdo · beat · overwhelm
Defeating and seizing control
- capitulationComplete yielding to demands
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- routOverwhelming one-sided victory
- vanquishDefeat thoroughly in conflict
subjugation · occupation · overthrow · fall · invasion · siege · armistice · truce
Lack of success
- setbackReverse in progress
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- letdownFailure to satisfy expectations
- collapseSudden structural failure
downfall · fiasco · debacle · disaster · bust · heartbreak · devastation · ruin
Yielding a point
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- submitPresent for consideration
- concedeAdmit something reluctantly
- acquiesceSubmit without protest
resign · relent · give in · give up · bow out · throw in the towel · wave the white flag · acknowledge
Being without something
vanquished · bested · outmatched · outplayed · elimination · knocked out · also-ran · runner-up
Disturb, topple, or shock
- underdogPresumed loser beforehand
- surpriseUnexpected event causing astonishment
- stunnerPerson or thing overwhelming
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
Cinderella · giant-killing · spoiler · comeback · long shot · dark horse · unexpected · improbable
Overwhelming one-sided victory
- blowoutSudden tire failure
- landslideMass of earth falling
- drubbingDecisive, lopsided defeat
- thrashingDecisive, lopsided defeat
trouncing · whitewash · massacre · annihilation · demolition · shellacking · walloping · clobbering
overcome
Prevail against difficulty
vanquish · surmount · overpower · subdue · best · master · outdo · beat · overwhelm · outlast
conquest
Defeating and seizing control
- capitulationComplete yielding to demands
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- routOverwhelming one-sided victory
vanquish · subjugation · occupation · overthrow · fall · invasion · siege · armistice · truce · white flag
failure
Lack of success
- setbackReverse in progress
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- letdownFailure to satisfy expectations
collapse · downfall · fiasco · debacle · disaster · bust · heartbreak · devastation · ruin · misfortune
concession
Yielding a point
acquiesce · resign · relent · give in · give up · bow out · throw in the towel · wave the white flag · acknowledge · capitulate
loss
Being without something
lost · vanquished · bested · outmatched · outplayed · elimination · knocked out · also-ran · runner-up · second place
upset
Disturb, topple, or shock
- underdogPresumed loser beforehand
- surpriseUnexpected event causing astonishment
- stunnerPerson or thing overwhelming
shock · Cinderella · giant-killing · spoiler · comeback · long shot · dark horse · unexpected · improbable · miracle
rout
Overwhelming one-sided victory
thrashing · trouncing · whitewash · massacre · annihilation · demolition · shellacking · walloping · clobbering · crushing
- competitioncompete, competitor, contender, winner, sports
- experiencesadventure, journey, moment, event, feeling
- gameplaypower-up, level cap, save point, game over, tutorial level
- warcombat, warfare, battle scenes, battles, soldier
- wartimerationing, war economy, war bonds, war effort, evacuations
- conquestwar of conquest, capture, invasion, domination, subjugation
- admit defeatAccept that you've lost
- defeat the purposeNegate intended outcome
- accept defeatAcknowledge loss gracefully
- crushing defeatOverwhelming, decisive loss
- admitting defeatAcknowledging loss openly
- total defeatComplete, decisive loss
defeated, defeats, defeating, undefeated, defeatist, defeatism, defeatable, defeatedly