waterloo
waterloo Lexical Profile
waterloo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A decisive, crushing, or final defeat or setback, especially one that ends a period of prior success.
"After years of dominating the market without competition, the tech giant finally met its Waterloo when a nimble startup released a vastly superior product."
A municipality in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium, famous as the site of the 1815 battle where Napoleon Bonaparte was finally defeated.
"The historian traveled to Waterloo to examine the terrain where the legendary battle took place."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently encountered in the idiom 'to meet one's Waterloo,' meaning to face a final, insurmountable challenge. It is usually capitalized even when used metaphorically.
• Rhymes for waterloo
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Battle of Waterloo (1815), where Napoleon Bonaparte suffered his final defeat. The Belgian town's name originates from Middle Dutch 'water' (water) and 'lo' (forest, clearing).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.