Meaning
落败 means to lose or be defeated in a competition, battle, election, or contest. The word combines 落 (to fall) and 败 (defeat), literally meaning 'to fall into defeat.' It's more formal than casual words like 输 and is commonly used in written language, news reports, and formal contexts to describe losing in significant contests.
Usage
落败 is typically used in formal or written contexts such as sports commentary, political reports, and news articles. It often appears with prepositions like 以 (by) to indicate the margin of defeat, or 于 (at/in) to show where the defeat occurred. It's less common in everyday casual conversation where 输 or 输了 would be preferred.
Examples
- 01该队在决赛中以一分之差落败。.The team lost the finals by a margin of one point.
- 02现任总统在这次选举中落败了。.The incumbent president was defeated in this election.
Characters
Common collocations
- 以...落败...to lose by...
- 最终落败to ultimately be defeated
- 惨遭落败to suffer a crushing defeat
Antonyms
Origin
The compound combines 落 (to fall) with 败 (defeat), creating a vivid image of falling into defeat or descending to a loss. This construction emphasizes the downward movement or decline associated with losing.