Defeat
Defeat noun - Failure to win a contest.
Incompetence and defeat are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Incompetence" instead a noun "Defeat".
Incompetence
Incompetence noun - The lack of sufficient ability, power, or means.
Defeat and incompetence are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Defeat" instead a noun "Incompetence".
Nearby Words: incompetent, incompetently
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
| complete | complete defeat | complete incompetence |
| utter | utter defeat | utter incompetence |
| total | total defeat | total incompetence |
| initial | initial defeat | initial incompetence |
| Other adjectives: seeming, true, brutal, actual, massive, shocking, major, catastrophic, apparent, military, previous, aforementioned, tactical. | ||
Both words in one sentence
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From Napoleon The Conquered its implied that Josephines general incompetence is what led to Napoleons crushing defeat at Waterloo, despite showing prowess at fighting minutes before.
Source: Western Animation / Time Squad -
Cutscene Incompetence: In the prehistoric era the party is "hopelessly outnumbered" by a party of 8 Reptites, when they'd just been able to defeat 5 of them moments before.
Source: Video Game / Chrono Trigger - Ultimately, Hot Rod still uses the Matrix to defeat the World Destroyer, but because of Starscream's incompetence once he becomes leader of the Decepticons, the villainous group is crushed once and for all.
Source: For Want Of A Nail / Comic Books
Cite this Source
Incompetence and Defeat. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 28, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/defeat/incompetence
Defeat & Incompetence. N.p., 2016. Web. 28 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/defeat/incompetence>.
Incompetence or Defeat. 2016. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/defeat/incompetence.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "defeat" and "incompetence" have occurred on timeline