敗戦|はいせんhaisen[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbdefeat; lost battle; losing a war
    敗戦はいせんのうわさが広ひろまった。↗
    Rumors of defeat were abroad.
Conjugation
Dictionary form敗戦する(はいせんする)
Polite (masu)敗戦します(はいせんします)
Negative (nai)敗戦しない(はいせんしない)
polite (masen)敗戦しません(はいせんしません)
classical zu / nu敗戦せず・敗戦せぬ(はいせんせず・はいせんせぬ)
Past (ta)敗戦した(はいせんした)
polite (mashita)敗戦しました(はいせんしました)
Past negative (nakatta)敗戦しなかった(はいせんしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)敗戦しませんでした(はいせんしませんでした)
Te form敗戦して(はいせんして)
Potential敗戦できる(はいせんできる)
Passive敗戦される(はいせんされる)
Causative敗戦させる(はいせんさせる)
Causative passive敗戦させられる(はいせんさせられる)
Conditional (ba)敗戦すれば(はいせんすれば)
tara敗戦したら(はいせんしたら)
Volitional敗戦しよう(はいせんしよう)
polite (mashou)敗戦しましょう(はいせんしましょう)
Imperative敗戦しろ(はいせんしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym敗北はいぼくWrittenWritten/formal prose for defeat in a match, election or war; broad in scope, whereas 「敗戦」 covers losing a war or match but is said mostly of wars.
  • Synonym敗れるやぶれるWrittenA verb meaning to be defeated; leans written/formal, as in 「決勝で敗れる」.
  • Synonym負けまけNeutralLosing in general — the most common everyday word, with the broadest range of use.
  • Synonym戦敗せんぱいWrittenWritten/formal prose for defeat in a war; rare in modern usage — in everyday speech say 「敗戦」.
  • Synonym負け戦まけいくさNeutralA battle one has lost; also figuratively something doomed to fail. Carries an old-fashioned flavor.
  • Synonym敗軍はいぐんWrittenWritten/formal prose: a defeated army, as in 「敗軍の将」; the focus is on the losing troops rather than the defeat itself.
  • Related黒星くろぼしNeutralThe mark recorded for a lost bout in sumo; by extension, a failure or blunder.
  • Antonym勝利しょうりNeutralVictory — the direct opposite of 「敗戦」.
  • Antonym勝ち戦かちいくさNeutralA battle one wins; the counterpart of a lost battle.

Use 「敗戦」 for losing a war, as in 「敗戦国」「敗戦記念日」; it can also refer to losing a match. For defeat in general use 「敗北」 or 「負け」; for a defeated army 「敗軍」; for a losing mark in match records 「黒星」; for victory 「勝利」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 戦争せんそうや試合しあいに負まけること。
  2. 大規模だいきぼな失敗しっぱい。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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