derrotar
“derrotar” means “to defeat” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to defeat
Also: to beat, to vanquish
📝 In Action
Nuestro equipo derrotó al campeón el año pasado.
B1Our team defeated the champion last year.
El ajedrecista derrotó a su oponente en solo diez movimientos.
B2The chess player beat his opponent in only ten moves.
to overcome
Also: to conquer
📝 In Action
Tienes que derrotar tus miedos para seguir adelante.
B2You have to overcome your fears to move forward.
Finalmente, él derrotó su adicción al tabaco.
C1Finally, he conquered his addiction to tobacco.
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: derrotar
Question 1 of 1
Which of these is the correct way to say 'I defeated my friend'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the old French word 'desrouter', which literally meant 'to push off the road' (route). It originally described an army being scattered and forced off their path.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'vencer' and 'derrotar'?
They are very similar! 'Vencer' is more general and can mean to win a race or a war. 'Derrotar' is more specifically about the act of beating an opponent directly.
Is 'derrotar' always a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar, making it easy to conjugate.