Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'defeat'

English Word: defeat

Key Russian Translations:

• поражение [pɐˈraʐenʲɪjə] - [Neutral, Commonly used for loss or failure]
• победить [pɐˈbʲedʲɪtʲ] - [Verb, Used in the context of defeating someone]
• разгром [rɐzˈɡrom] - [Informal, Strong emphasis on crushing defeat]

Frequency: High (especially "поражение" in various contexts)

Difficulty: A2-B1 (Beginner to Intermediate; "поражение" and "победить" are A2, while "разгром" is B1 due to nuanced usage)

Pronunciation (Russian):

поражение: [pɐˈraʐenʲɪjə]

Note on поражение: Stress falls on the second syllable; the "ж" sound is a voiced fricative, similar to the 's' in "measure".

победить: [pɐˈbʲedʲɪtʲ]

Note on победить: Stress on the second syllable; the soft "д" requires palatalization.

разгром: [rɐzˈɡrom]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Loss or Failure (e.g., in a competition or battle)

Translation(s) & Context:

• поражение - Used for general defeat or loss in sports, war, or abstract contexts (e.g., failure of a plan).
• разгром - Emphasizes a complete or devastating defeat, often in military or informal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Команда потерпела поражение в финале.

  The team suffered a defeat in the final.

• Это было полное поражение наших надежд.

  It was a complete defeat of our hopes.

• Враг потерпел разгром в этой битве.

  The enemy suffered a crushing defeat in this battle.

2. To Overcome or Beat (e.g., an opponent)

Translation(s) & Context:

• победить - Verb meaning to defeat or overcome, often implying victory over someone or something.

Usage Examples:

• Мы победили соперников со счётом 3:1.

  We defeated our opponents with a score of 3:1.

• Он победил страх и сделал шаг вперёд.

  He defeated his fear and took a step forward.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

поражение (Noun, Neuter): Declines according to the second declension pattern.

победить (Verb, Perfective): Conjugates irregularly in the past tense; used only in perfective aspect (completed action).

разгром (Noun, Masculine): Declines regularly as a masculine noun.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for поражение:

• неудача (failure)
• проигрыш (loss)

Note: "неудача" is broader, often used for personal failure, while "проигрыш" is specific to games or competitions.

Antonyms for поражение/победить:

• победа (victory)
• успех (success)

Related Phrases:

• потерпеть поражение - to suffer a defeat (used in formal or narrative contexts).
• победить врага - to defeat the enemy (common in military or competitive contexts).
• разгромить противника - to crush the opponent (strong, often informal or emphatic).

Usage Notes:

• "поражение" is the most neutral and widely applicable translation for "defeat" as a noun, covering both literal (sports, war) and figurative (failure of plans) contexts.
• "победить" is a verb and should be used when "defeat" implies overcoming or beating someone/something; note that it is perfective, so it cannot be used in present tense without an imperfective counterpart like "побеждать".
• "разгром" conveys a stronger, more emphatic sense of total defeat and is often used in informal or dramatic contexts.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "победить" in present tense (e.g., *Я побежу врага сейчас). Correction: Use the imperfective "побеждать" for ongoing or present actions (e.g., Я побеждаю врага). Explanation: "победить" is perfective and refers to a completed action.
• Error: Confusing "поражение" with "победа" due to similar roots. Correction: "поражение" means defeat, while "победа" means victory; pay attention to context.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, the concept of "defeat" (поражение) often carries a heavy emotional or historical weight, especially in contexts related to war (e.g., World War II). The term "разгром" may evoke vivid imagery of historical military victories or losses.

Related Concepts:

• победа (victory)
• борьба (struggle)
• сражение (battle)