defeated
defeated — verb
- defeatedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- defeateds3rd person singular
- defeateding-ing form
- defeatededpast simple
1. past form of defeat: to beat an opponent or rival side, for example an army, tea
past form of defeat: to beat an opponent or rival side, for example an army, team, or political candidate.
Yumi defeated her brother three games in a row at the chess club.
defeat + object (named opponent)
Napoleon's army was finally defeated by the British and Prussian forces at Waterloo.
passive: be defeated by + agent
Owen defeated the reigning champion in the final by two clear sets.
The opposition candidate defeated the mayor by fewer than two hundred votes.
Our village team was defeated 4-1 by the city champions in the regional cup final.
- lose to
the inverse from the loser's side
文法句型
defeat + object
be defeated by + agent
用法筆記
Frequently passive when the focus is the loser rather than the winner ('the team was defeated'). Object is usually a named opponent, army, candidate, or team.
常見錯誤
2. past form of defeat: to stop a plan, law, or attempt from succeeding, so that it
past form of defeat: to stop a plan, law, or attempt from succeeding, so that it has no effect.
Heavy rain defeated our plan to hike up Mount Hira on Saturday.
subject is an obstacle (weather, cost, time)
The senators defeated the climate bill after a long evening of debate.
defeat + a legislative proposal
The puzzle defeated Tara at first, but she solved it after a coffee break.
A last-minute leak from the press defeated the company's plan to launch quietly.
Strong winds defeated the rescue team's attempt to reach the climbers before dark.
- achieve
the opposite outcome — the plan succeeds
文法句型
defeat + a proposal / motion / purpose
用法筆記
Object is typically something the speaker wanted to succeed (a plan, attempt, motion, purpose). Distinguish from sense 1: here the 'opponent' is an abstract goal, not a person or team.
常見錯誤
defeated — adjective
- defeatedpositive
- more defeatedcomparative
- most defeatedsuperlative
1. having lost a battle, contest, election, or game.
having lost a battle, contest, election, or game.
The defeated army withdrew across the river before nightfall.
attributive: the defeated + noun (army, team, side)
Christopher congratulated the defeated candidate with a long handshake on stage.
attributive: the defeated + person noun
Sana refused to feel defeated even after losing in the semifinals.
Photographers crowded around the defeated boxer as he left the ring.
The defeated team sat quietly in the locker room, waiting for the coach.
- beaten
everyday word; same meaning, slightly less formal
- vanquished
literary; suggests a heavy, decisive loss
- victorious
the winning side; same register
- triumphant
the winning side with strong emotion
文法句型
the defeated + noun
be defeated
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person, team, army, or political side that has just lost. Most natural in attributive position ('the defeated army'); the predicative use often blends into sense 2 (looking hopeless).
常見錯誤
2. showing on your face, in your voice, or in your manner that you have given up an
showing on your face, in your voice, or in your manner that you have given up and no longer believe you can succeed.
Paloma sank into the chair with a defeated sigh after reading the rejection letter.
attributive: a defeated + sigh / look / voice
Hamza looked defeated when the judge announced the final score.
predicative: look / sound / feel + defeated
There was a defeated tone in Ayana's voice as she explained why she was quitting.
Ari shrugged with a defeated little smile and turned back to the workbench.
By the third rejection, Gabriela sounded thoroughly defeated on the phone.
- dejected
lower in energy, gloomy
- demoralised
British spelling; emphasises loss of motivation
- deflated
informal; the person feels suddenly flattened
- discouraged
milder; still has some hope left
文法句型
look / sound / feel + defeated
a defeated + noun (voice, expression, look)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes how someone looks or sounds, not whether they actually lost a contest. Common collocates are bodily or vocal cues — sigh, voice, tone, expression, slump.
常見錯誤
defeated — noun
1. the situation of being beaten in a fight, election, or game; the act of being ma
the situation of being beaten in a fight, election, or game; the act of being made to fail.
Sivan accepted the defeat with a quiet bow and shook the winner's hand.
accept / admit + defeat
Our team suffered a heavy defeat against the league leaders on Sunday.
suffer + a heavy / narrow defeat
Kasia refused to admit defeat and tried the puzzle one more time.
The defeat in the regional final was hard for the younger players to accept.
After three straight defeats, the coach decided to change the starting line-up.
文法句型
suffer (a) defeat
admit defeat
defeat in / by / against
用法筆記
Both countable (a defeat, three defeats) and uncountable (accept defeat). Object follows verbs of experiencing (suffer, face, accept, admit) or causing (inflict).
常見錯誤
2. the act of stopping a plan, proposal, or law from succeeding, so that it has no
the act of stopping a plan, proposal, or law from succeeding, so that it has no effect.
The defeat of the housing bill disappointed many first-time buyers in the city.
defeat of + a legislative proposal
Last night's vote ensured the defeat of the new tax measure in parliament.
the defeat of + a measure / motion
Minister Okafor called the defeat of the pension reform a setback for working families across the country.
Activists celebrated the defeat of the logging proposal outside the courthouse.
文法句型
defeat of + plan / proposal
用法筆記
Formal, mostly in news and political writing. Almost always 'the defeat of [something]'; the thing defeated is an abstract goal — a bill, motion, plan, or attempt — not a person.
常見錯誤
3. the state of being completely destroyed or broken, especially after losing a war
the state of being completely destroyed or broken, especially after losing a war.
The old port lay in defeat after months of bombing, its warehouses reduced to ash.
lie in defeat (literary / historical)
Carthage, in its defeat, was burned to the ground by Roman soldiers.
in [one's] defeat (formal / historical narrative)
The general's memoir described a country sunk into defeat and silence after the surrender.
Painters of the era often showed cities in defeat, with smoke rising from broken walls.
- victory
the opposite outcome; survival and triumph
文法句型
[country / city] in defeat
用法筆記
Mostly literary or historical writing. Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is the physical and moral ruin that follows defeat, not the act of losing.
4. (used with 'the') the group of people who have lost a war, election, or contest,
(used with 'the') the group of people who have lost a war, election, or contest, seen as a single side.
The defeated were marched out of the capital under guard the next morning.
the defeated + plural verb (formal historical)
Aid workers brought blankets and clean water to the defeated in the border camps.
the defeated as a group of refugees / survivors
History, the saying goes, is written by the winners, not the defeated.
The new government promised fair treatment for both the victors and the defeated.
- the losers
everyday equivalent; less formal
- the vanquished
literary; same idea, stronger register
- the victors
formal opposite, common pairing
- the winners
everyday opposite
文法句型
the defeated + verb (plural)
用法筆記
Always 'the defeated' (no other determiner). Takes a plural verb. Formal and mostly historical or journalistic; everyday speech says 'the losers' instead.