Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of defeat

32 similar words · 12 opposite words

Another word for defeat is humble. Other synonyms of defeat are beat, thrash, vanquish, spank and trounce. The opposite of defeat is lose.

Synonyms and similar words for defeat

verbMore synonyms

  • vanquishTo defeat (someone); to overcome.
  • overcome
  • beatTo win against; to defeat or overcome; to do or be better than (someone); to excel in a particular, competitive event.
  • bring down
  • chew upTo defeat utterly.
  • eat someone for breakfast slangTo beat easily; to trounce.
  • eat someone's lunch US, slangTo best or defeat someone thoroughly; to make short work of.
  • flog AustraliaTo defeat easily or convincingly.
  • humbleTo defeat or reduce the power, independence, or pride of.
  • kick ass
  • murdelizeTo defeat soundly; to trounce.
  • outfoxTo beat (someone) in a competition of wits with superior cleverness or cunning; to outsmart.
  • outguessTo beat through accurate anticipation of someone's plans and actions.
  • outrun
  • outsmartTo beat in a competition of wits.
  • outwitTo get the better of; to outsmart, to beat in a competition of wits.
  • overpower
  • overwinTo overcome; gain one's point; exceed.
  • ownTo defeat, dominate, or be above.
  • pulveriseTo defeat soundly, thrash.
  • pwnTo own, to defeat or dominate (someone or something, especially a game or someone playing a game).
  • rape offensive, slang
  • reduce
  • spankTo soundly defeat, to trounce.
  • steal the showTo be the best performer during a performance.
  • subdue
  • subvert
  • surmount
  • thrashTo defeat utterly.
  • trounceTo beat or overcome thoroughly, to defeat heavily; especially (games, sports) to win against (someone) by a wide margin.
  • convince obsolete
  • malavogue Ireland, datedTo punish or trounce.

Opposite of defeat

verbMore antonyms

nounMore antonyms

  • victoryThe condition or state of having won a battle or competition, or having succeeded in an effort; (countable) an instance...

Meaning of defeat

  1. verb To overcome in battle or contest.
  2. verb To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
  3. verb To nullify.

Full definition of defeat

defeat in other languages

Questions about synonyms of defeat

What is another word for defeat?
Defeat has 32 synonyms on Word.ws, such as humble, beat, thrash, vanquish, spank, trounce, outsmart and outwit.
What is the opposite of defeat?
The opposite of defeat is lose.
What does defeat mean?
Defeat means to overcome in battle or contest.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: defeat (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of defeat.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/defeat. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.