Synonyms

consolation prize

American

noun

a prize, usually of minor value, given to the loser or runner-up in a contest, competition, etc., or to all losers who have performed well or met certain standards.

consolation prize British

noun

a prize given to console a loser of a game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of consolation prize

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

consolation prize

The consolation prize was a larger role for Presley.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025

Lucky for Cruise, he got a consolation prize in the form of a Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025

If the FA Cup really is struggling to count as a consolation prize for Guardiola and City this season, you could have fooled everyone inside Vitality Stadium who watched him.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2025

Leftovers became less a consolation prize and more a creative challenge.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2024

I looked away, and she put her hand on my arm, which was the worst, because it was the consolation prize.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023