defeat
/dɪˈfiːt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈfiːt/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈfēt dē-/ (ame, mw)
defeat — verb
- defeatpresent simple I / you / we / they
- defeatshe / she / it
- defeatedpast simple
- defeating-ing form
1. to beat an opposing person, team, or army in a sports match, battle, election, o
to beat an opposing person, team, or army in a sports match, battle, election, or other contest by performing better than them
The home team defeated their city rivals by a score of three goals to one.
defeat + score : result format
Esme trained for six months and finally defeated the defending champion in the final round.
defeat + competitor in a tournament context
The rebel forces were defeated after a long and bloody battle near the coast.
Justin defeated the top seed in straight sets and advanced to the semi-finals.
- lose to
the opposite outcome: to be beaten by the opponent
- surrender to
implies giving up without necessarily being outperformed
文法句型
defeat + noun phrase (the opponent, the team, the enemy)
用法筆記
Frequently used with a specific score, margin, or description of how the victory was achieved. The subject can be a person, team, army, or party, and the object is the opponent.
常見錯誤
2. to prevent a plan, effort, hope, or idea from achieving its intended result, or
to prevent a plan, effort, hope, or idea from achieving its intended result, or to make it too difficult for someone to succeed at something
A software bug defeated all our efforts to launch the website before the holiday.
defeat + effort / attempt
The crossword puzzle defeated Yuki for nearly an hour before she found the last answer.
defeat + [person] : task as subject
Heavy snow defeated the rescue team's plan to reach the stranded climbers that night.
The complex tax forms defeated even the most experienced accountants in the office.
A lack of funds defeated the proposal before it reached a vote in the council.
- enable
to make something possible, the opposite of causing failure
- facilitate
to help a process succeed
文法句型
defeat + noun phrase (a plan, an attempt, a purpose)
用法筆記
In this sense, the subject is usually a problem, obstacle, or difficulty, and the object is the plan, effort, or person trying to do something. Unlike sense V1, this does not involve a human opponent.
常見錯誤
defeat — noun
- defeatsingular
- defeatsplural
1. the state or result of losing a competition, battle, election, or fight to an op
the state or result of losing a competition, battle, election, or fight to an opponent who performs better
The team suffered a humiliating defeat in the championship final last Saturday.
suffer a defeat : common verb collocation
After three straight defeats, the coach decided to change the starting line-up completely.
defeat as countable: three defeats
The general refused to accept defeat and ordered one final attack at dawn.
It was a narrow defeat — Ámihan lost the race by less than half a second.
The party's election defeat led to a complete change in leadership and direction.
文法句型
suffer / face / accept + defeat
a defeat
defeat (uncountable)
用法筆記
Can be uncountable (general concept: 'they faced defeat') or countable (a specific instance: 'a surprising defeat'). Countable use is more common with adjectives like 'narrow', 'heavy', 'humiliating'.
常見錯誤
2. the act of telling your opponent or others that you accept the contest is over a
the act of telling your opponent or others that you accept the contest is over and you did not win
After the final whistle the visiting captain conceded defeat and shook hands with the winners.
concede defeat : idiom for accepting loss
The candidate admitted defeat late that night and congratulated her opponent on the victory.
admit defeat : common collocation
Jack knew he had run out of time and reluctantly admitted defeat.
Refusing to admit defeat, the team captain rallied her players for one final attempt.
- persist
to keep trying despite difficulty, the opposite of admitting defeat
文法句型
admit / concede + defeat
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrases 'admit defeat' or 'concede defeat'. Unlike sense N1, this sense does not refer to the event of losing itself but to the moment someone accepts that they have lost. Rarely used outside these two verb collocations.
3. a decision to stop trying to achieve a difficult task or solve a problem because
a decision to stop trying to achieve a difficult task or solve a problem because you feel you cannot succeed no matter what you do
After months of failed experiments, Greta admitted defeat and started over with a new method.
admit defeat + task scenario
The hikers conceded defeat when the storm made the mountain path completely impassable.
Ritu tried fixing the old motorcycle herself but eventually admitted defeat and called a mechanic.
After three years of searching with no real progress, the researchers conceded defeat.
- persevere
to keep going despite difficulty, the opposite of giving up
文法句型
admit defeat (in the face of difficulty)
concede defeat
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense N2: N3 applies to tasks, problems, or personal goals — not to competitive contests against an opponent. Only appears in the same fixed verb phrases 'admit defeat' and 'concede defeat'.