Pyrrhic
adjective /ˈpɪrɪk/ — Won at too great a cost to count as victory.
Definition
Of a victory: won at too great a cost to have been worth winning; relating to Pyrrhus of Epirus.
Beyond the definition
Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans at Asculum in 279 BC — but lost so many men that he famously said: 'Another such victory and we are lost.' A Pyrrhic victory is the bitterest kind: you technically win, but the cost means you've also lost. The word names the specific futility of certain kinds of success.
Origin & history
From Pyrrhus, King of Epirus (318–272 BC), whose costly victories over Rome in the Pyrrhic War gave rise to the phrase. After Asculum, he reportedly said: 'One more such victory and we are utterly undone.'
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Winning the lawsuit was a Pyrrhic victory — the legal fees exceeded the settlement by a third.
She got the promotion she'd fought for, but the team she'd alienated to get it meant it was Pyrrhic.
The negotiation ended in a Pyrrhic compromise: both sides got something, neither got enough.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Pyrrhic” when the meaning fits your context: Of a victory: won at too great a cost to have been worth winning; relating to Pyrrhus of Epirus.
Synonyms
hollow victory, costly win, too-expensive success
Antonyms
clean victory, decisive win
Related words
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
The negotiation had lasted eleven months. They won every point — contract terms, delivery schedule, pricing, the penalty clauses. The other side had agreed to everything.
By the time the deal closed, two of their best people had left. The legal costs had exceeded the profit margin. The client relationship was technically intact but functionally destroyed.
"We won," someone said in the post-mortem. Nobody added anything to this. The word hung in the room until someone changed the subject. Victory, it turned out, had a cost that didn't appear in any of the term sheets.
Questions about this word
What does "Pyrrhic" mean?
Pyrrhic is adjective meaning: Won at too great a cost to count as victory.. Of a victory: won at too great a cost to have been worth winning; relating to Pyrrhus of Epirus.
Where does the word "Pyrrhic" come from?
From Pyrrhus, King of Epirus (318–272 BC), whose costly victories over Rome in the Pyrrhic War gave rise to the phrase. After Asculum, he reportedly said: 'One more such victory and we are utterly undone.'