Synonyms for defeat
dɪˈfitde·feat

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. defeat

   Strike is the word for a single blow; to beat is to strike repeatedly, as a bird beats the air with its wings. Others of the above words describe the manner of beating, as bastinado, to beat on the soles of the feet; belabor, to inflict a comprehensive and exhaustive beating; cudgel, to beat with a stick; thrash, as wheat was beaten out with the old hand-flail; to pound (akin to Latin pondus, a weight) is to beat with a heavy, and pommel with a blunt, instrument. To batter and to bruise refer to the results of beating; that is battered which is broken or defaced by repeated blows on the surface (compare synonyms for SHATTER); that is bruised which has suffered even one severe contusion. The metaphorical sense of beat, however, so far preponderates that one may be very badly bruised and battered, and yet not be said to be beaten, unless he has got the worst of the beating. To beat a combatant is to disable or dishearten him for further fighting. Hence beat becomes the synonym for every word which implies getting the advantage of another. Compare CONQUER.

   Almost all antonyms in this class are passive, and can be formed indefinitely from the conquering words by the use of the auxiliary be; as, be beaten, be defeated, be conquered, etc.

   Synonyms:
   bastinado, batter, beat, belabor, bruise, castigate, chastise, conquer, cudgel, flog, overcome, pommel, pound, scourge, smite, spank, strike, surpass, switch, thrash, vanquish, whip, worst

   Antonyms:
   fail, fall, get the worst of, go down, go under, surrender

   Preposition:
   Beat with a stick over the head; beat by a trick; out of town; beat to the ground; into submission.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. defeatnoun

   Synonyms:
   frustration, overthrow, discomfiture

   Antonyms:
   victory, triumph, success

2. defeatverb

   Synonyms:
   conquer, overcome, worst, beat, baffle, rout, overthrow, vanquish, frustrate, foil

   Antonyms:
   secure, promote, insure, speed, advance, establish, aid

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. defeat, lickingnoun

   an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

   "it was a narrow defeat"; "the army's only defeat"; "they suffered a convincing licking"

   Synonyms:
   thrashing, trouncing, frustration, whacking, drubbing, beating, lacing, licking

   Antonyms:
   triumph, victory

2. frustration, defeatverb

   the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals

   Synonyms:
   frustration, thwarting, licking, foiling

   Antonyms:
   victory, triumph

3. get the better of, overcome, defeatverb

   win a victory over

   "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"

   Synonyms:
   surmount, vote out, overwhelm, overcome, subdue, kill, get the best, whelm, overpower, shoot down, vote down, get the better of, sweep over, have the best, overtake, get over, master

   Antonyms:
   victory, triumph

4. kill, shoot down, defeat, vote down, vote outverb

   thwart the passage of

   "kill a motion"; "he shot down the student's proposal"

   Synonyms:
   pour down, drink down, toss off, shoot, wipe out, overcome, buck, kill, down, bolt down, pop, stamp out, belt down, tear, vote down, shoot down, vote out, charge, obliterate, land, get the better of, turn thumbs down

   Antonyms:
   victory, triumph

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. defeatnoun

   Synonyms:
   overthrow, downfall, rout, discomfiture, repulse

2. defeatnoun

   Synonyms:
   frustration

3. defeatverb

   Synonyms:
   conquer, overthrow, overcome, vanquish, checkmate, repulse, beat, discomfit, rout

4. defeatverb

   Synonyms:
   frustrate, baffle, foil, balk, disconcert, disappoint

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. defeatnoun

   Synonyms:
   repulse, overthrow, vanquishment, foil, rout, frustration, disappointment

2. defeatverb

   Synonyms:
   conquer, vanquish, repulse, discomfit, rout, checkmate, outwit, balk, foil, frustrate

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "defeat":

   beat, defeating, overcome, vanquish, failure, conquer, rout, defeated, invalidation, defeats, setback, thwart, frustrate, overcoming, loss, slaughter

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How to use defeat in a sentence?

1. George Lois:

   Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by orginality, overcomes everything.

2. John Boehner:

   This personnel change must be part of a larger re-thinking of our strategy to confront the threats we face abroad, especially the threat posed by the rise of ISIL (Islamic State), we cannot defeat this enemy without a broad, coordinated, well thought-out effort that has the strong support of the American people. Thus far, this administration has fallen well short.

3. James Rubin:

   It's a shame that the politics, the pendulum of our political system, has swung so far to the other direction that our President and others are not prepared to take some modest steps to defeat a genuine threat, not the fake threat that was exaggerated 10 years ago.

4. State John Kerry:

   We are going to defeat Daesh. We always said it will take time, we began our fight against al Qaeda in 2001 and it took us quite a few years before we were able to eliminate Osama bin Laden and the top leadership and neutralize them as an effective force. We hope to do Daesh much faster than that and we think we have an ability to do that.

5. Josephus Daniels:

   Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it.