winner
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that wins; victor.
All three winners received plaques for their winning presentations.
A yearling Teeswater sheep took the limelight yesterday when it was crowned the overall winner of the interbreed Wool on the Hoof competition.
-
a person or thing that is marked by consistently or thoroughly excellent quality, performance, etc. (opposed to loser).
This brownie recipe is a real winner—I’ve made it countless times and it always turns out beautifully.
idioms
noun
-
a person or thing that wins
-
informal a person or thing that seems sure to win or succeed
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of winner
A Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at win 1, -er 1
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:
The city held a competition to design the park, and former City Councilmember José Huizar announced the winner with a press conference on the empty lot in 2016.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
While the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is Argentina's main threat, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford warned against ignoring the other talents in Lionel Scaloni's side.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
With two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal a likely candidate to be traded within the next couple of weeks, the team best equipped to land him is the one that needs him the least.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
At one stage on Sunday it appeared as though Aki Iwai was capable of becoming a first-time major winner.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
A moment ago these mysterious adults had been in a screaming argument, but now they seemed satisfied and self-absorbed, as if each had privately declared him-or herself the winner.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Individual investors often understand this, yet it may not deter them from the “fun” of trying to pick winners, riding them higher and selling at their peak.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
The difference is that history is no longer written solely by the winners, and today’s industrialists no longer have a monopoly on shaping the narrative.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
It looked for a spell that the 39-year-old may be denied his first meeting with England when Switzerland held the momentum in Saturday's quarter-final - but Argentina eventually ran out 3-1 winners in extra time.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The number of Cy Young winners this decade from the SEC is the same as the number from Santa Barbara: one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
I couldn't stop thinking about the way we were hugging just before they announced all the winners, so when she turned to face me looking all beautiful, I knew that was it.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
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.
