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Synonyms

winning

American  
[win-ing] / ˈwɪn ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that wins.

    Antonyms:
    losing

  2. Usually winnings something that is won, especially money.

  3. Mining.

    1. any opening by which coal is being or has been extracted.

    2. a bed of coal ready for mining.

adjective

  1. that wins; successful or victorious, as in a contest.

    the winning team.
    Antonyms:
    losing

  2. charming; engaging; pleasing.

    a winning child; a winning smile.
    Synonyms:
    winsome , attractive
    Antonyms:
    repulsive
winning British  
/ ˈwɪnɪŋ /

adjective

  1. (of a person, character, etc) charming, engaging, or attractive

    winning ways

    a winning smile

  2. gaining victory

    the winning stroke
"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

noun

    1. a shaft or seam of coal

    2. the extraction of coal or ore from the ground

  2. (plural) money, prizes, or valuables won, esp in gambling

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unwinning adjective
  • winningly adverb
  • winningness noun

Etymology

Origin of winning

1250–1300; Middle English (noun); win 1, -ing 1, -ing 2

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.

Luring head coaches from other places has historically been a winning move for UCLA.

From Los Angeles Times

The sense that they were doing something by winning their first major trophy that their parents or grandparents who supported Palace couldn't see, was incredible.

From BBC

Last month saw the company launch its well-received Gemini 3 AI model, while Google’s chips have also been winning praise.

From MarketWatch

Ben Stokes' side were pummeled in Perth, where they supposedly had to win to have any chance of winning back the urn.

From BBC

The Guardian's five-star review said the show is "imaginatively staged, immaculately performed and utterly winning", while the Telegraph described it as a "funny, feel-good, family-friendly musical that looks set to run and run".

From BBC

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.