noun
Waterloo
waw-tuh-LOO
noun
1
A decisive, final defeat, especially after a long run of success — from the phrase "meet one's Waterloo."
"The champion finally met his Waterloo in the final round."
"This lawsuit could be the company's Waterloo."
How to Use Waterloo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA final, crushing defeat that ends someone's winning streak.
Memory tip
Almost always used in the fixed phrase "meet one's Waterloo," referring to the battle, not the place name itself.
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Common pairings
meet one's Waterloo
Word Forms
Waterloos plural
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Etymology
From the Battle of Waterloo (1815) in Belgium, where Napoleon Bonaparte suffered his final, crushing defeat — his once-unstoppable career ended in a single battle.