Pyrrhic victory

American  

noun

1. a victory or goal achieved at too great a cost.

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Pyrrhic victory British  

noun

1. Also called: Cadmean victory.  a victory in which the victor's losses are as great as those of the defeated

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Pyrrhic victory Cultural  

1. A victory that is accompanied by enormous losses and leaves the winners in as desperate shape as if they had lost. Pyrrhus was an ancient general who, after defeating the Romans, told those who wished to congratulate him, “One more such victory and Pyrrhus is undone.”

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Pyrrhic victory Idioms  

1. A victory that is offset by staggering losses, as in The campaign was so divisive that even though he won the election it was a Pyrrhic victory. This expression alludes to Kind Pyrrhus of Epirus, who defeated the Romans at Asculum in b.c. 279, but lost his best officers and many of his troops. Pyrrhus then said: “Another such victory and we are lost.” In English the term was first recorded (used figuratively) in 1879.

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Etymology

Origin of Pyrrhic victory

1880–85; < Greek Pyrrikós; after a remark attributed by Plutarch to Pyrrhus, who declared, after a costly victory over the Romans, that another similar victory would ruin him

Example Sentences

If we can’t, winning the global AI race will be a Pyrrhic victory at best.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

It should be obvious that for Meta this counts as a Pyrrhic victory.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025

Unfortunately, the proponents’ pursuit for greater numbers in these local races will result in a Pyrrhic victory.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2024

But what would have looked like a defining victory for Mr. Macron, even if the parliamentary vote in favor had been narrow, now looks a Pyrrhic victory.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2023

A Pyrrhic victory is one where you win, but the cost of winning is so high that it would’ve been better if you'd never bothered with the war in the first place.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell