derrotado
/deroˈtado/
The English word 'defeated' is translated into Spanish as derrotado.
derrotado is used to describe someone or something that has been beaten, subjugated or overcome.
Meaning: subjugated, beaten, overcome (adj)
Which one should you use?
While derrotado is the standard term for being defeated in a contest or war, the word vencido is a more literary or formal synonym that often implies being vanquished or overcome.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use the feminine form derrotada for feminine subjects, derrotados for masculine plural subjects and derrotadas for feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
/deroˈtado/
Did you know?
- While derrotado means 'defeated', the root verb derrotar was originally a nautical term meaning to change a ship's course or to go astray.
- In a legal sense, the verb vencer can refer to a debt or a deadline that has 'come due', treating the time limit as an opponent that has finally won.
- In a sports context, if you want to say a team was 'crushed' or 'slaughtered' rather than just 'defeated', you might use masacrado. It carries a much more violent, physical connotation than the standard derrotado.
Examples in context
- Él admite que fue derrotado.He acknowledges that he was defeated.This sentence shows how to use derrotado to express acknowledgment of defeat.Tatoeba #13032346 by Eremon, translation #8451940 by ET
- Tom admitió haber sido derrotado.Tom admitted that he had been defeated.This sentence uses derrotado to describe a past state of being defeated.Tatoeba #1118729 by Shishir, translation #1027223 by CK
- Napoleón fue finalmente derrotado.Napoleon was finally defeated.This sentence illustrates the use of derrotado in a historical context.Tatoeba #9358414 by ignacio, translation #9359527 by DJ_Saidez
- Después de un largo enfrentamiento, el equipo local se encontró vencido por sus rivales internacionales.After a long confrontation, the local team found themselves defeated by their international rivals.
- Me quedé chafado cuando supe que no había sido seleccionado para el puesto de trabajo.I felt crushed when I found out I wasn't selected for the job position.
- El equipo visitante fue aniquilado en el partido y no logró anotar ningún gol.The visiting team was defeated in the match and failed to score any goals.
- El equipo argentino se encontraba derrotado después de una larga serie de tropiezos.The Argentine team was defeated after a long series of setbacks.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a recent sports match.
- DanielNuestro equipo quedó derrotado ayer.Our team was defeated yesterday.
- MaríaSí, pero jugaron muy bien.Yes, but they played very well.
- DanielMe siento derrotado por el resultado.I feel defeated by the result.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, Daniel, ganarán la próxima.Don't worry, Daniel, they will win the next one.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry derrotado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
