consisting of two short or unaccented syllables.
composed of or pertaining to pyrrhics.
of or relating to such a metrical foot
(of poetry) composed in pyrrhics
1620–30; < Latin pyrrhichius < Greek pyrrhíchios pertaining to the pyrrhíchē pyrrhic 2
1590–1600; < Latin pyrrhicha < Greek pyrrhíchē a dance; said to be named after Pyrrhichus, the inventor
Use the adjective pyrrhic to describe a victory that is won, but at too great a cost. In this use as an adjective, the word is often capitalized. The word pyrrhic comes from the Greek general, Pyrrhus, who defeated the Romans at the Battle of Asculum but lost so many troops that he couldn't defeat Rome itself. If you are the winner in an argument with your brother, but the fight ends up ruining your relationship with him, it's a Pyrrhic victory. An ancient Greek war dance is also called a pyrrhic.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But his long-drawn-out departure was a very Pyrrhic form of statesmanship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
But even if the Tegna acquisition makes it through the courts, Nexstar may find it has obtained a Pyrrhic victory.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
“Paramount is paying a stiff price, and its winning bid may turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory,” we wrote on Feb. 27, after Netflix bowed out of the takeover battle.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
If we can’t, winning the global AI race will be a Pyrrhic victory at best.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026
Joaquin had seen her composed face many times over the past year and a half; surprising her felt like a weird sort of victory, a Pyrrhic one.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
