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• trophy
  trophy

  noun

  anything taken in war, hunting, competition, etc., especially when preserved as a memento; spoil, prize, or award.
• -trophy
  -trophy

  a combining form used in the formation of nouns with the general senses “nourishment, feeding” (mycotrophy ), “growth” (hypertrophy ); also forming abstract nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -trophic.

trophy

¹ American  

[troh-fee] / ˈtroʊ fi /

noun

• trophies
  plural

1. anything taken in war, hunting, competition, etc., especially when preserved as a memento; spoil, prize, or award.

2. anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, skill, etc..

   a sports trophy.

3. a symbol of success that is used to impress others.

   He bought the lavish home as a trophy.

4. a carving, painting, or other representation of objects associated with or symbolic of victory or achievement.

5. any memento or memorial.

6. a memorial erected by certain ancient peoples, especially the Greeks and Romans, in commemoration of a victory in war and consisting of arms or other spoils taken from the enemy and hung upon a tree, pillar, or the like.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to a symbol of success that is used to impress others.

   They just want a near-perfect trophy child to brag about.

-trophy ² American  

1. a combining form used in the formation of nouns with the general senses “nourishment, feeding” (mycotrophy ), “growth” (hypertrophy ); also forming abstract nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -trophic.

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trophy ¹ British  

/ ˈtrəʊfɪ /

noun

1. an object such as a silver or gold cup that is symbolic of victory in a contest, esp a sporting contest; prize

2. a memento of success, esp one taken in war or hunting

3. 1. a memorial to a victory, usually consisting of captured arms raised on the battlefield or in a public place

   2. a representation of such a memorial

4. an ornamental carving that represents a group of weapons, etc

5. informal (modifier) highly desirable and regarded as a symbol of wealth or success

   a trophy wife

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-trophy ² British  

combining form

1. indicating a certain type of nourishment or growth

   dystrophy

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Usage

What does -trophy mean? The combining form -trophy is used like a suffix variously meaning “nourishment, feeding, growth." It is also used to form nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -trophic. The combining -trophy is often used in medical and scientific terms. The form -trophy comes from the Greek trophḗ, meaning “nourishment,” “food.”You may be familiar with terms like atrophy (equivalent to the Greek átrophos) from the Greek and dystrophy (from the New Latin dystrophia). Find out how these relate to -trophy and "nourishment" at our entries for these words. Corresponding forms of -trophy combined to the beginning of words are tropho- and troph-. Another form closely related to -trophy is -troph.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• trophyless
  adjective
• -trophic
  combining form

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• trophies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of trophy¹

1505–15; earlier trophe < French trophée < Latin trop ( h ) aeum < Greek trópaion, noun use of neuter of trópaios, Attic variant of tropaîos of turning or putting to flight, equivalent to trop ( ḗ ) a turning (akin to trépein to turn) + -aios adj. suffix. See trope

Origin of -trophy²

< Greek -trophia nutrition, equivalent to troph ( ḗ ) food + -ia -y ³

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Explanation

A trophy is a prize given for winning a competition. Often made of metal (or plastic meant to look like metal), a trophy may not have much monetary value, but the pride it gives the person who receives it can be priceless. Trophy comes from the Greek word tropē, meaning "a turning, defeat of the enemy." It later came to mean "a monument of victory," which it still celebrates today. Think of the overjoyed actor who holds his Oscar — a trophy — in the air during his acceptance speech, or a team of eight year old soccer players who, in their group photo, hold their trophies in one hand while raising the index finger of their other hand, meaning "We're number one!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trophy trophies

At 19, Ronaldo played in the final of Euro 2004 at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, in front of a country that had convinced itself the trophy was already on its way.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

And after hammering No. 17 Florida on Saturday, the Bulldogs are the betting favorite to add another championship trophy in January.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

He led them from relegation trouble to qualification for the Champions League on two occasions and won the EFL Cup - the club's first trophy in 56 years - in 2025.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

The 'Big Three' is often expanded to a 'Big Four' featuring Britain's three-time major champion Andy Murray, who soared to world number one, won two Olympic singles gold medals and lifted the ATP Finals trophy.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

She couldn’t wait to see the look on John Harvey’s face when she walked away with the trophy.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Eva and her husband use every part of the carcasses, even the heads, which are displayed like a “grotesque gallery” of mounted trophies in a Victorian gentleman’s club.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Although, he could have a total of three gramophone trophies by the time January rolls around.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

There is only one Spaniard who deserves it, and that's Lamine Yamal, who has given us individual performances, collective trophies, and has that aura.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

After "two or three hours" on the machines, Chiaki Sugai, a 56-year-old sushi restaurant employee, pushes a huge cart filled with trophies which cost her nearly 8,000 yen.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

I carried my trophies home and sat down before my tree to fix dinner and feed Frightful.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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Related Words

• citation
• crown
• cup
• decoration
• gold
• keepsake
• medal
• memento
• prize
• souvenir

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