vt (1) 战胜，击败 (win a victory over sb in any kind of struggle; overcome) [T+n， T+n+prep]：(army/fleet/enemy) be (badly/soundly)～ed in a battle(军队/舰队/敌人)在战斗中被击败(惨败);(party) be (badly/soundly)～ed in an election(党)在选举中被击败(惨败);be (badly/soundly)～ed at football/chess 在足球赛/棋赛中被击败(惨败);～one's opponents 战胜对手;They～ed our team by three goals (to two). 他们队赢了我们队三个球(以三比二的比分赢了我们队)。The motion was～ed by 60 votes (to 30). 这个动议以60票之差(60票对30票)被否决。The government was～ed by 40 votes (to 20). 这届政府以40票之差(40票对20票)被击败。〖同〗overcome， conquer;〖反〗lose;

(2) 使……迷惑(困扰)(be puzzling for sth) [T+n](infml)： This kind of problem always～s me. 这种问题总是使我困扰。The complex sum has～ed many teachers. 这个复杂的运算使许多教师束手无策。His idea has～ed many adults. 他的想法使许多成年人无法理解。Why he stays indoors on such a beautiful day～s me! 这么好的天他竟闭门不出，这使我不解。

(3) 1) 使破灭(落空，失败)(prevent(hopes， aims etc) from becoming reality) [T+n]：Our hopes were～ed. 我们的希望破灭了。Moral instruction thus～s its own purpose. 道德教育就这样适得其反。2) 使受挫(阻)(prevent(an attempt， a proposal， etc) from succeeding) [T+n]：We've～ed moves to build another office block. 我们使兴建另一处办公楼的动议未能通过。(lack of money)～sb's plan/sb's attempt/sb's proposal(缺钱)使某人的计划/企图/提议受挫;

n(1) 1)击败，战胜(act of defeating or state of being defeated) [U]：the～of the losing army 战胜败军; the～by the winning army 被胜利军击败;Napoleon's～at Waterloo 拿破仑在滑铁卢的失败; His～in the last race depressed him. 最后一次赛跑失败令他垂头丧气。Our main aim must be the～of the government in the next election. 我们的主要目的是使政府在下届选举中失败。suffer/admit/lead to～遭受/承认/导致失败;end in/give up in～以失败告终/因失败而认输;consider the possibility of～考虑失败的可能性;〖反〗success， triumph， victory; 2) 失败(example of being defeated) [C]：three wins and two～s for the team 这个队三胜两负;a crushing/serious/military～毁灭性的失败/惨败/军事失败;The team has had two ～s in a row. 这个队一连被击败了两次。Another～will mean the end of the war. 再失败一次就意味着战争的结束。These～s came as a setback for him. 这些失败对于他来说无异于挫折。suffer/avoid another～遭受/避免又一次失败;〖反〗success， triumph， victory;

(2) 破灭，落空(bringing to naught) [U](fig)：Losing the scholarship meant～of all her hopes. 没有得到奖学金意味着她所有的希望都破灭了。

→de′featism n 失败主义;de′featist n 失败主义者;

【辨异】1) defeat与beat和win的区别见BEAT;2) defeat与conquer，overcome和subdue的区别见CONQUER。