defeat and kill share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. defeat means “an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest”. kill means “cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly”. kill is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈfit/
1.n.an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
“it was a narrow defeat”
2.n.the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals
3.v.win a victory over
“You must overcome all difficulties”
/ˈkɪl/
1.v.cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
“This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank”
2.v.thwart the passage of
“kill a motion”
3.v.end or extinguish by forceful means
“Stamp out poverty!”
| defeat | kill | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈfit/ | /ˈkɪl/ |
| Said | di-FEET | kil |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 18 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | licking | none recorded |
Full entry for defeat · Full entry for kill · More comparisons