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

This is what a consolation prize feels like.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025

The consolation prize is the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, an award that has evolved into the Too Bad You’re Not a Quarterback trophy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 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

There’s no way to avoid standing up and walking across the stage to accept my consolation prize.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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