waat6 tit3 lou4滑鐵廬滑铁庐

Jyutpingwaat6 tit3 lou4

Yalewaaht tit lòuh

Definition

Waterloo, referring to either a decisive defeat or the historical location in Belgium.

Waterloo, Belgium; the site of Napoleon's final defeat
figurativea decisive, crushing defeat or failure

colloquialother

How it's used

Borrowed from the historical Battle of Waterloo, this term functions as a metaphor for a crushing or unexpected failure. It is frequently used in professional or academic contexts to describe a project or test that went disastrously wrong. Unlike general words for losing, it carries a sense of finality and significant loss of face.

Examples

keoi5佢gam1今ci3次haau2考si5試zan1真hai6係waat6滑tit3鐵lou4廬laa3喇。

He really failed his exam this time.

nei5你hai6係mai1咪geng1驚zi6自gei2己wui2會waat6滑tit3鐵lou4廬aa1呀？

Are you worried that you might suffer a defeat?

Common phrases

zou1遭jyu6遇waat6滑tit3鐵lou4廬

to suffer a defeat

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe minor setbacks or simple mistakes, as it implies a major, definitive defeat. It is also not used to describe physical combat or sports matches in the same way as a generic loss.