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Defeat vs Hopeless - What's the difference?

defeat | hopeless |

As a verb defeat

is to overcome in battle or contest.

As a noun defeat

is the act of defeating or being defeated.

As an adjective hopeless is

without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive.

defeat

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To overcome in battle or contest.
    • Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
  • To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
  • * Tillotson
    • He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes.
  • * A. W. Ward
    • In one instance he defeated his own purpose.
  • To nullify
  • * Hallam
    • The escheators defeated the right heir of his succession.

    Synonyms

    (To overcome in contest) * beat * conquer * overthrow * rout * vanquish

    Related terms

    * defeasance * defeasible * defeater * defeatism * defeatist * defeature

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of defeating or being defeated.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 13 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Two defeats in five games coming into this contest, and a draw with Everton, ultimately cost Sir Alex Ferguson's side in what became the most extraordinary finale to the league championship since Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield in 1989.}}

    hopeless

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
    • I am a woman, friendless, hopeless .
  • *, chapter=15
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Edward Churchill still attended to his work in a hopeless mechanical manner like a sleep-walker who walks safely on a well-known round. But his Roman collar galled him, his cossack stifled him, his biretta was as uncomfortable as a merry-andrew's cap and bells.}}
  • Giving no ground of hope; promising nothing desirable; desperate.
  • Without talent, not skilled
    • He's a hopeless writer, but can draw very well.

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "hopeless" is often applied: case, situation, romantic, love, cause, person, despair, life, undertaking, alcoholic, man, endeavor, place, pain, agony, project.

    Synonyms

    * desperate

    Antonyms

    * hopeful

    References

    * * *