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Agony vs Defeat - What's the difference?

agony | defeat |

As nouns the difference between agony and defeat

is that agony is violent contest or striving while defeat is the act of defeating or being defeated.

As a verb defeat is

to overcome in battle or contest.

agony

English

Noun

(agonies)
  • Violent contest or striving.
    • The world is convulsed by the agonies of great nations. —.
  • Pain so extreme as to cause writhing or contortions of the body, similar to those made in the athletic contests in Greece; and hence, extreme pain of mind or body; anguish; paroxysm of grief; specifically, the sufferings of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
    • Being in an agony he prayed more earnestly. —Luke xxii. 44.
  • Paroxysm of joy; keen emotion.
    • With cries and agonies of wild delight. —.
  • The last struggle of life; death struggle.

    • Synonyms

    * anguish, torment, throe, distress, pang, suffering * See also

    Antonyms

    * (extreme pain) ecstasy

    Related terms

    * agon * agonist, antagonist, protagonist * agonistes

    defeat

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To overcome in battle or contest.
    • Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
  • To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
  • * Tillotson
    • He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes.
  • * A. W. Ward
    • In one instance he defeated his own purpose.
  • To nullify
  • * Hallam
    • The escheators defeated the right heir of his succession.

    Synonyms

    (To overcome in contest) * beat * conquer * overthrow * rout * vanquish

    Related terms

    * defeasance * defeasible * defeater * defeatism * defeatist * defeature

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of defeating or being defeated.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 13 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Two defeats in five games coming into this contest, and a draw with Everton, ultimately cost Sir Alex Ferguson's side in what became the most extraordinary finale to the league championship since Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield in 1989.}}