defeated
Americanadjective
-
relating to or being the loser in a contest, election, battle, etc.; overcome or vanquished.
For several days in succession, fragments of the defeated army straggled through the town.
-
frustrated, foiled, or thwarted, as plans, dreams, etc..
He could not shake off a feeling of acute disappointment, of defeated hopes.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defeated
First recorded in 1575–85; defeat ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; defeat ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the Massachusetts Senate primary on Tuesday, 80-year-old Sen. Ed Markey, who was first sent to Washington the year Jimmy Carter won the presidency, handily defeated a primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
Markey soundly defeated House Rep. Seth Moulton in the state’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, carrying 65% of the vote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
As days, weeks and months passed, he repeatedly said that an agreement to end the conflict was close at hand and that Iran was already defeated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The group went on to spearhead the battle against IS, which was defeated territorially in Syria four years later.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
“You brag too much, Hyperion. You are bright and fiery, but Percy Jackson defeated you anyway. I hear you became a nice tree in Central Park.”
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
