Sometimes, life knocks us down. We feel crushed, tired, and question our strength to carry on. It’s in these moments that a few powerful words can lift our spirits.
Quotes about feeling defeated remind us that we’re not alone. They show that others have faced the same struggles and found the strength to rise again. Here is a collection of the best quotes to give you hope when you feel defeated.
Quotes to Understand Feelings of Defeat
“It is not defeat that destroys you, it is being demoralized by defeat that destroys you.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Sometimes we must undergo hardships, breakups, and narcissistic wounds, which shatter the flattering image that we had of ourselves, in order to discover two truths: that we are not who we thought we were; and that the loss of that cherished self-image is ultimately a gain.”
“Defeat is simply the addition of time to a strategy for success.”
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”
“Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.”
“Out of defeat can come the best in human character, the greatest inner strength, and the noblest acts of courage.”
“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
“The only time you mustn’t fail is the last time you try.”
“Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been, to stand up taller than you ever were.”
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”
“When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.”
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
“Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.”
“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.”
“In defeat, we discover the true strengths that define who we are.”
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation in which I rebuilt my life.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
Healing Quotes After Feeling Defeated
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Every setback is a setup for a comeback.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”
“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
“Hard times may have held you down, but they will not last forever. When all is said and done, you will be increased.”
“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.”
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”
“Life is very interesting. some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.”
“Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.”
“Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.”
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”
“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”
“The only defeat is giving up. Press forward with purpose.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
“From every wound, there’s a scar, and every scar tells a story. A story that says, ‘I survived.'”
Motivational Quotes for Overcoming Defeat
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”
“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“No man is a failure who is enjoying life.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
“Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter.”
“Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Defeat is simply the addition of time to a given equation, so never give up.”
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”
“From the ashes of defeat will come the phoenix of victory.”
“Out of difficulties grow miracles.”
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
Quotes on Resilience in the Face of Defeat
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.”
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
“Defeat is simply the addition of time to a longer journey, not the end of the road.”
“Out of difficulties grow miracles.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
“Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been, to stand up taller than you ever were.”
“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.”
“The phoenix must burn to emerge.”
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.”
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”
“Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.”
“No matter how much it hurts now, someday you will look back and realize your struggles changed your life for the better.”
“Every setback is a setup for a comeback.”
Quotes for Encouragement When Feeling Defeated
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
“The darkest hour has only sixty minutes.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.”
“Defeat is simply the addition of time to the equation before we succeed.”
“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”
“The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how high you raise your foot.”
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.”
“The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”
“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
“Each small effort builds upon the last, eventually changing defeats into victories.”
Inspirational Quotes to Combat Feelings of Defeat
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.”
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
“Defeat is simply the addition of time to a longer goal.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.”
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”
“You are not your failures; you are what you learn and how you grow from them.”
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”
“A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.”
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“To be defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.”
“Your defeat is just a lesson, not a life sentence. Embrace it and rise stronger.”
“Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.”
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”
“Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”
“When the world says ‘Give up,’ Hope whispers, ‘Try it one more time.'”
Powerful Quotes to Rise Above Defeat
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
“The phoenix must burn to emerge.”
“Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been, to stand up taller than you ever were.”
“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“The comeback is always stronger than the setback.”
“The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.”
“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
“Defeat is simply the addition of time to a process of trying.”
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“You are not defeated when you lose. You are defeated when you quit.”
“Stars can’t shine without darkness.”
“Defeat is simply the addition of time to a process of improvement.”
“What is to give light must endure burning.”
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
To Recap
Reading through these “Feeling Defeated Quotes” can offer a comforting reminder that everyone faces tough times. Quotes from thoughtful leaders and writers remind us that feeling down is part of the human experience. They show that it’s okay to feel defeated sometimes, as long as we find the strength to get back up.
Whether you’re looking for a bit of motivation or just want to know you’re not alone, these quotes can help light the way. Keep them close, revisit them often, and let them inspire you to keep moving forward, even when the going gets tough.
