Pyrrhic Victory
idiom / noun /ˈpɪr.ɪk ˈvɪk.tər.i/ — A victory so costly it is equivalent to defeat
Definition
A victory achieved at such devastating cost — of lives, resources, or relationships — that its value is negated. The winner wins, technically. But the winning has broken them.
Beyond the definition
Pyrrhic victory is the word for winning wrong — for achieving the goal but losing what made the goal worth achieving. It names the particular bitterness of success that arrives too late, at too high a price.
Origin & history
King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans at the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC, but with such massive losses that he reportedly said: 'One more such victory and we are undone.'
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She won the legal battle but lost the relationship. A pyrrhic victory at best.
The company survived the hostile takeover but emerged so weakened it was a pyrrhic victory.
Some fights are only pyrrhic victories waiting to be discovered.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Pyrrhic Victory” when the meaning fits your context: A victory achieved at such devastating cost — of lives, resources, or relationships — that its value is negated. The winner wins, technically. But the winning has broken them.
Synonyms
costly victory, hollow win, damaging success
Antonyms
clean victory, decisive win, worth the cost
Related words
Pyrrhic Victory vs success
Success is a positive outcome. A 'pyrrhic victory' is a win that leaves you so damaged or drained that the cost outweighs the benefit of winning.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Neighbors Restoring a Damaged Garden
Fictional neighbours stake a bent plant beside broken branches and a cracked planter in a storm-damaged courtyard.
The survivors have achieved the victory of maintaining their garden, but the cost—broken branches and shattered planters—is clearly visible. This reflects a pyrrhic victory where the effort to win has resulted in devastating losses that negate the value.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Pyrrhic Victory" mean?
Pyrrhic Victory is idiom / noun meaning: A victory so costly it is equivalent to defeat. A victory achieved at such devastating cost — of lives, resources, or relationships — that its value is negated. The winner wins, technically. But the winning has broken them.
Where does the word "Pyrrhic Victory" come from?
King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans at the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC, but with such massive losses that he reportedly said: 'One more such victory and we are undone.'