vanquished

adjective

van·​quished ˈvaŋ-kwisht 

ˈvan-

: overcome or defeated in battle or in a conflict or contest

a vanquished foe

In the dim light he could see Leslie's face freeze into its most queenly pose—the kind of expression she usually reserved for vanquished enemies.

—Katherine Paterson

When this morning race was over, the Brown oarsmen waited at their boat house for their vanquished competitors to come around and hand over their rowing shirts, each with its distinctive colors and design.

—William N. Wallace

Exiting at 35th Street, we pass the new Comiskey Park with its vanquished predecessor now reduced to a placeless parking complex across the street …

—Thomas J. Jablonsky

Examples of vanquished in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With their win over the Buffalo Bills Sunday night, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have entered the déjà vu stage of their dynastic run, where novelty takes a back seat to rematches with vanquished foes, and Super Bowl appearances begin to feel like something out of Groundhog Day. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2025

Trump’s vanquished opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, also looked on. —Niall Stanage, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025

The good news: Everybody from a triumphant Donald Trump to a vanquished Kamala Harris is talking about national unity. —Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024

Each of them is at something of a crossroads, as well, making their situations perhaps a bit more interesting than your typical vanquished ninth or 10th seed. —John Hollinger, The Athletic, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above