won

¹ American  

[wuhn] / wʌn /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of win.

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won ² American  

[wuhn, woon, wohn] / wʌn, wʊn, woʊn /

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

wonned, wonning

1. to dwell; abide; stay.

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won ³ American  

[won] / wɒn /

noun

• won
  plural

1. a paper money and monetary unit of North and South Korea, equal to 100 chon.

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won ¹ British  

/ wɒn /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of North Korea, divided into 100 chon

2. the standard monetary unit of South Korea, divided into 100 chon

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won ² British  

/ wʌn /

verb

1. the past tense of win 1

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won ³ British  

/ wʊn, wʌn /

verb

1. archaic (intr) to live or dwell

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• won
  plural

Etymology

Origin of won²

before 900; Middle English wonen, Old English wunian; cognate with German wohnen; see wont

Origin of won³

First recorded in 1915–20; from Korean wǒn, Korean pronunciation of the Japanese character pronounced as en, yen “coin, round coin, yen,” from Middle Chinese wian “round, circular,” equivalent to Chinese yuán yuan

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

won wonned wonning

“I’m in total disbelief my Commanders had such poor clock management,” Magic Johnson posted on X. “All we had to do was kick the field goal and we would have won the game!”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Eugene Tenenbaum, a former director of Chelsea Football Club, helped to manage the billionaire's wealth at the time of the case in 2008, which Abramovich won.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

“I’m in total disbelief my Commanders had such poor clock management in today’s overtime game against the Giants. All we had to do was kick the field goal and we would have won the game!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Meanwhile, the Parti Québécois won enough seats in last week’s provincial election to form a separatist minority government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

"In the old days," Don Quixote had said, "knights won islands and kingdoms. They gave them to their squires to govern. I plan to do the same with you, Sancho, if you become my squire."

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

But while in early morn she wonned alone And Paris slept, shrill rose her singing tone, And brave the light on kindled cheeks and eyes: Brave as her hope is, brave the flag she flies.

From Helen Redeemed and Other Poems by Maurice Henry Hewlett

The castle would have been right fair and rich had any folk wonned therein, but none there were save one old priest and his clerk that lived within by their own toil.

From The High History of the Holy Graal by Sebastian Evans

Offering there hath he made Saint James, candles him paid, Gold on the shrine hath laid; Now Gobertz Is for Toulouse, where that maid Tibors wonned unafraid Of Love and his accolade That breaketh hearts.

From Helen Redeemed and Other Poems by Maurice Henry Hewlett

There by him now stood the beakers and bowls, 172 There lay the dishes and dearly-wrought swords, Rusty, through-eaten they, as in earth's bosom A thousand of winters there they had wonned.

From The Tale of Beowulf Sometime King of the Folk of the Weder Geats by Anonymous

But small pleasaunce took Little John   In all he heard and saw; Till he reached the cave of a hermit old   Who wonned within the shaw.

From The Bon Gaultier Ballads by Richard Doyle

Temple devout! where God chose his wonning,* *abode From which, these misbeliev'd deprived be, To you my soule penitent I bring; Receive me, for I can no farther flee.

From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by D. Laing Purves