B1 to win against someone in a fight, war, or competition:
Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo.
See also
B2 to cause someone or something to fail:
The proposal to change the rules was narrowly defeated (= by a very small number) by 201 votes to 196.
Our ambitions for this tournament have been defeated by the weather.
More examples
- The French were defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
- The team were overwhelmingly defeated in yesterday's game.
- The North defeated the South in the American Civil War.
- The bill was defeated in the Commons by 249 votes to 131.
- The four-times champion was unexpectedly defeated in the second round of the competition.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
B1 the fact of losing against someone in a fight or competition, or when someone or something is made to fail:
In the last election, they suffered a crushing/humiliating defeat.
After their defeat in battle, the soldiers surrendered.
Compare
admit defeat
More examples
- The Democrats suffered a crushing defeat in the last election.
- Her silence was taken as an admission of defeat.
- He was famed for his stubborn resistance and his refusal to accept defeat.
- Saturday's 2-0 defeat dashed their hopes of reaching the final.
- His defeat in the world championship led to a long period of gloomy introspection.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
