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Glite Dictionary
waterloo

waterloo

1 9.4
A final crushing defeat that ends someone's success
  • noun
  • /ˌwɔːtərˈluː/
translation icon : derrota
  • The team's unexpected loss in the championship game was their ultimate waterloo.

Examples

  • They referred to sinking healthcare reform explicitly as Obama's "waterloo."

    Blog text (13)

  • That is my waterloo.

    Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2017)

  • After years of struggle, the failed merger proved to be the company's waterloo.

  • In politics, a candidate's waterloo can arrive suddenly, ending any hopes for a successful campaign.

Synonyms

defeat
vswaterloo
275 2.5

A loss in a game, match, or election that means you do not win

is an especially devastating loss that ends long term success and ambitions
finish
vswaterloo
  • Informal
5 7.9

The end that brings a person or thing to ruin

is a single decisive loss that ends long term success or ambition
trouncing
vswaterloo
2 7.4

A very strong defeat, usually in a game or election, leaving the loser embarrassed

is a decisive loss that ends someone's wider success or future plans

Antonyms

success
∞ 1.0

Getting what you want after working hard

victory
∞ 1.0

A win against an opponent or a difficult problem

Compounds

Battle of Waterloo
2 5.8

A major battle on 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in which allied armies defeat Napoleon and end his rule

How Devastating

waterloo
1 9.4
rout
12 7.2
defeat
275 2.5
loss
439 1.4
setback
148 3.6

Surface Forms

waterloo singular
waterloos plural

Etymology

The word waterloo comes from the name of a town, Waterloo, in Belgium where Napoleon lost a great battle in 1815 that ended his power. So calling something someone's waterloo means their 'final, total defeat'.