de·feat·ist I. \-fēd.ə̇st, -ētə̇-\noun (-s) Etymology: French défaitiste, from défaite defeat + -iste -ist : one who believes in, advocates, or is affected with defeatism : one who concedes defeat too readily II. adjective : characterized by defeatism < there was a defeatist attitude about the proposal > < such talk is plainly defeatist >