DEFEAT DEFINITION:The feeling of having been mastered, conquered, or bested PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS: The chin lowering to one’s chest Hands that go limp Holding one’s palms up and out Slowly shaking the head A lack of eye contact Staring down at one’s hands or feet Going quiet, muttering, or being unresponsive Unsteadiness; a lack of balance Agreeing to hurry things along to end the agony of this moment Arms hanging at one’s sides A long, low sigh A thick, emotion-choked voice Stumbling Rubbing at the eyes to hide redness or tears from others Backing away and creating a bubble of personal space Cheeks that burn A bobbing Adam’s apple (thick swallows) Hunched or rounded shoulders Sagging posture, the back bowed Hands hidden behind the back or in pockets Chin tremors Arms clutching one’s body as if to hold it together Lackluster movements; being devoid of energy Toneless responses Vacant eyes Slumping into a chair Holding one’s head with the hands Covering the mouth and nose with one’s hand INTERNAL SENSATIONS: Feeling a pulse in one’s throat One’s heart thudding dully in the chest Wheezing breaths Feeling like one’s head is spinning Chest pain or numbness A sour taste in one’s mouth A lack of energy Tears or heat behind the eyelids A painful lump in one’s throat Limbs that feel too heavy to lift or move MENTAL RESPONSES: A desire to flee or be alone Shame Worrying that others will feel let down or disappointed Mental fatigue Wanting time to pass quickly but feeling trapped in this moment ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION: A quaking or trembling body Uncontrollable tears Pleading or begging Collapsing; the knees giving out Self-loathing SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED: Shaking the head False bravado Trying to maintain eye contact Demanding a rematch Repeating the wordNo Shouting or cursing Laying the blame on others Making accusations of cheating or underhandedness A chin that juts sharply The lips pressed flat A flinty gaze Using anger to feed strength MAY ESCALATE TO:Resignation,Powerlessness,Vulnerability,Shame,Humiliation MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:Shock,Hopefulness,Gratitude,Relief ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Ache, beat, bleed, blindside cave, collapse, crumple, displace drag, knock, master, oust outsmart, overcome, overpower, overthrow pummel, sap, smash, steamroll strangle, stun, subdue, suffer surrender, topple, whip, yield WRITER’S TIP:To reveal quieter emotions, try using contrast. For example, pairing an easygoing character with someone who is highly volatile will help their own milder body cues stand out clearly.