# defeat vs detest

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### defeat
*verb · IPA /dɪˈfiːt/ · frequency rank #2,939*
To overcome in battle or contest.

### detest
*verb · IPA /dɪˈtɛst/ · frequency rank #34,016*
To dislike (someone or something) intensely; to loathe.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defeat-vs-detest