胜败

Almost always invokes the proverb 胜败乃兵家常事 (shèngbài nǎi bīngjiā chángshì) — 'victory and defeat are commonplace for military strategists'. The line traces to 《旧唐书·裴度传》 and is used to comfort someone after a loss: don't dwell on it, even generals lose battles.

usage

胜败 is a paired-opposite compound (like 是非 right/wrong, 成败 success/failure). Use it when discussing the binary outcome of a contest. Compare 输赢 (shūyíng), which is more colloquial.