English pronunciation · Words Starting with D
Defeat Pronunciation
Defeat is pronounced di-FEET, IPA /dɪˈfit/.
di-FEET
US /dɪˈfit/ · UK /dɪˈfiːt/
Syllables: di · FEET (2 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
verb and noun: To beat someone in a contest or a battle, or a loss suffered in one.
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Defeat in a Sentence
- They suffered a heavy defeat on Saturday.
- Nothing could defeat her in an argument.
- The bill faced defeat in the upper house.
Common Mispronunciations of Defeat
Not DEE-feet
Front stress makes the word sound like a remark about somebody's feet, and no reading of it puts the push there.
Not di-FAYT
That ea is a long ee, so the second beat rhymes with seat.
Tip: Defeat and defeatist both keep the long ee, and the noun and the verb are the same word unchanged.
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