English noun: defeat | |||
1. | defeat (event) an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest | ||
Samples | It was a narrow defeat. The army's only defeat. They suffered a convincing licking. | ||
Synonyms | licking | ||
Broader (hypernym) | conclusion, ending, failure, finish | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | debacle, drubbing, heartbreaker, lurch, rout, shutout, skunk, slaughter, thrashing, trouncing, walloping, waterloo, whipping, whitewash | ||
Antonyms | triumph, victory | ||
2. | defeat (feeling) the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals | ||
Synonyms | frustration | ||
Broader (hypernym) | disappointment, letdown | ||
English verb: defeat | |||
1. | defeat (competition) win a victory over | ||
Samples | You must overcome all difficulties. Defeat your enemies. He overcame his shyness. He overcame his infirmity. Her anger got the better of her and she blew up. | ||
Examples | The fighter managed to defeat his opponent | ||
Synonyms | get the better of, overcome | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | beat, beat out, come through, conquer, crush, demolish, destroy, down, expel, lurch, make it, nose, overrun, pull round, pull through, rout, rout out, shell, skunk, survive, trounce, upset, vanquish, wallop | ||
2. | defeat (social) thwart the passage of | ||
Samples | Kill a motion. He shot down the student's proposal. | ||
Synonyms | kill, shoot down, vote down, vote out | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | blackball, negative, veto | ||