Dictionary

Pyrrhic victory en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˌpɪɹ.ɪk ˈvɪk.t(ə)ɹ.i/

Etymology

After Greek king Pyrrhus of Epirus, who suffered heavy losses while defeating the Romans.

Meanings

1. A very costly victory, wherein the considerable losses outweigh the gain, so as to render the struggle not worth the cost.
   • We now know that it [the Six-Day War] was a Pyrrhic victory. 2002 November 21, Amos Elon, “Israelis & Palestinians: What Went Wrong?”, in The New York Review, archived from the original on 09 May 2021:
   • Tough pensions regulation designed to protect employees in final-salary occupational schemes will prove a pyrrhic victory for unions and the government, a report warned yesterday. 2005 October 6, Phillip Inman, “Pensions regulation 'killing final-salary schemes'”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 15 Mar 2016:

Forms

Relateds

Cadmean victory · monkey's paw

Synonyms

hollow victory

Translations (36)

pl pyrrusowe zwycięstwo (a costly victory) · sk Pyrrhovo víťazstvo (a costly victory) · es victoria pírrica (a costly victory) · da pyrrhussejr (a costly victory) · fr victoire à la Pyrrhus (a costly victory) · cs Pyrrhovo vítězství (a costly victory) · ca victòria pírrica (a costly victory) · pt vitória pírrica (a costly victory) · az Pirr qələbəsi (a costly victory) · el Πύρρειος νίκη (a costly victory) · id kemenangan piris (a costly victory) · cmn 慘勝 /惨胜 (a costly victory) · nl pyrrusoverwinning (a costly victory) · tr Pirus zaferi (a costly victory) · hy պյուռոսյան հաղթանակ (a costly victory) · yue 慘勝 /惨胜 (a costly victory) · la victoria Pyrrhica (a costly victory) · it vittoria di Pirro (a costly victory) · de Pyrrhussieg (a costly victory) · ro victorie à la Pirus (a costly victory) · nn pyrrhossiger (a costly victory) · eo Pirha venko (a costly victory) · pt vitória pirrônica (a costly victory) · nb pyrrhosseier (a costly victory) · hu pirruszi győzelem (a costly victory) · id kemenangan Piris (a costly victory) · ko 피로스의 승리 (a costly victory) · bg Пи́рова побе́да (a costly victory) · sv pyrrhusseger (a costly victory) · ja ピュロスの勝利 (a costly victory) · pt vitória de Pirro (a costly victory) · cmn 皮洛士式勝利 /皮洛士式胜利 (a costly victory) · fi Pyrrhoksen voitto (a costly victory) · mk Пирова победа (a costly victory) · ru Пи́ррова побе́да (a costly victory) · pt vitória pirrónica (a costly victory)

wikipedia: Pyrrhus of Epirus · wikipedia: Pyrrhic victory · wikipedia: Stonewall Jackson