pyrrhic

1 of 2

noun

pyr·​rhic ˈpir-ik 

: a metrical foot consisting of two short or unaccented syllables

Pyrrhic

2 of 2

adjective

Pyr·​rhic ˈpir-ik 

: achieved at excessive cost

a Pyrrhic victory

also : costly to the point of negating or outweighing expected benefits

a great but Pyrrhic act of ingenuity

Examples of pyrrhic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This important victory may prove only pyrrhic, though, if important legal issues (e.g. token security status) are not resolved in a more comprehensive and systemic fashion. —Damien Scott, Fortune Crypto, 9 Sep. 2023

These are principles that must apply around the world, for basic fairness and because solving the climate crisis in just the U.S. would be the most pyrrhic of victories. —The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin pyrrhichius, from Greek (pous) pyrrhichios, from pyrrhichē, a kind of dance

Adjective

Pyrrhus, king of Epirus who sustained heavy losses in defeating the Romans

First Known Use

Noun

1610, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1675, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pyrrhic

• Pyrrhic victory