Defeat
Defeat noun - Failure to win a contest.
Usage example: sore losers still griping about their defeat in the basketball game earlier that week
Upset is a synonym for defeat in activity topic. In some cases you can use "Upset" instead the word "Defeat" as a verb or a noun, when it comes to topics like overthrow, conquer in military manner.
How words are described
| close | close defeat | close upset |
| good | good defeat | good upset |
| complete | complete defeat | complete upset |
| original | original defeat | original upset |
| Other adjectives: initial, real, massive, great, huge, shocking, famous, stunning, major, epic, greatest, biggest. | ||
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- She is not upset at Phoenix for ending her father's winning streak (by proving him to be a murderer), but because he stole her chance to defeat Edgeworth.
Source: Successful Sibling Syndrome -
In Saki, most of the mahjong players take their defeat relatively gracefully, even if, in the company of their friends and teammates, they indicate that they're quite disappointed or upset.
Source: Sore Loser -
Balance Between Good and Evil: Said to have been upset by Amaterasu's defeat of Yami, which caused the creation/birth of the little gods in response.
Source: Video Game / Ōkamiden
Cite this Source
Upset and Defeat. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/defeat/upset
Defeat & Upset. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/defeat/upset>.
Upset or Defeat. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/defeat/upset.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "defeat" and "upset" have occurred on timeline