defeat Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
licking.
- it was a narrow defeat
- the army's only defeat
- they suffered a convincing licking
noun the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals
frustration.
verb win a victory over
get the better of; overcome.
- 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
verb thwart the passage of
vote out; vote down; kill; shoot down.
- kill a motion
- he shot down the student's proposal

From F. défait, OF. desfait, p. p. ofe défaire, OF. desfaire, to undo; L. dis- + facere to do. See Feat, Fact, and cf. Disfashion.

imperfect & past participle Defeated; present participle & verbal noun Defeating

To undo; to disfigure; to destroy. Obs.
His unkindness may defeat my life. Shak.
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.
To overcome or vanquish, as an army; to check, disperse, or ruin by victory; to overthrow.
To resist with success; as, to defeat an assault.
Sharp reasons to defeat the law. Shak.
Syn. -- To baffle; disappoint; frustrate.

Cf. F. défaite, fr. défaire. See Defeat, v.

An undoing or annulling; destruction. Obs.
Upon whose property and most dear life A damned defeat was made. Shak.
Frustration by rendering null and void, or by prevention of success; as, the defeat of a plan or design.
An overthrow, as of an army in battle; loss of a battle; repulse suffered; discomfiture; -- opposed to victory.