derrotar
/de.ʁoˈta(ʁ)/
To defeat in Portuguese is to say derrotar. Wiktionary also lists vencer.
Meaning: to overcome in battle or contest (verb)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| derrotar | /de.ʁoˈta(ʁ)/ (Brazil) |
| vencer | /vẽˈse(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /vẽˈse(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
The verb is used to describe the act of overcoming an opponent in a battle or a contest. The related noun derrota refers to the act of being defeated or the state of losing.
Which one should you use?
While derrotar focuses on the act of causing an opponent to lose, vencer focuses on the act of the subject winning or overcoming an obstacle.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle derrotado is used as an adjective to describe someone who has been defeated.
How do you pronounce it?
/de.ʁoˈta(ʁ)/. The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese, vencer is used not only for defeating an opponent but also to describe a deadline that has passed or a ticket that has expired.
- While derrotar means to defeat, the noun derrota can also refer to the planned course or track of a ship at sea.
- The Portuguese word derrotar shares an unexpected history with the French word 'dérouter', which originally meant to drive someone off their path or to derail them.
Examples in context
- Eu vou derrotar você.I'm going to defeat you.This sentence shows how to express the intent to defeat someone using derrotar.Tatoeba #5187268 by ajdavidl, translation #5186981 by CK
- Você jamais irá nos derrotar.You'll never defeat us.This sentence uses derrotar to state that an opponent will never achieve defeat over a group.Tatoeba #5080891 by Ricardo14, translation #2713504 by CK
- Como você conseguiu derrotar o Tom?How did you manage to defeat Tom?This sentence uses derrotar to ask about the process of defeating a specific person.Tatoeba #14016937 by haomakk, translation #9280806 by CK
- A equipe sofreu uma dura derrota no campeonato.The team suffered a harsh defeat in the championship.
- O político enfrentou um revés significativo em sua campanha eleitoral.The politician faced a significant setback in his electoral campaign.
- O time levou uma porrada do adversário.The team got thrashed by the opponent.
- O candidato sofreu uma surra nas eleições municipais.The candidate suffered a humiliating defeat in the local elections.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a sports competition.
- JulianaVocê acha que o Lucas vai derrotar o capitão?Do you think Lucas will defeat the captain?
- LucasSim, ele treinou muito para derrotar o oponente.Yes, he trained a lot to defeat the opponent.
- JulianaO capitão é um jogador muito forte.The captain is a very strong player.
- LucasMas o Lucas tem foco para derrotar qualquer um.But Lucas has the focus to defeat anyone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “defeat” translations and entries derrotar, vencer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries derrotar, vencer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
