triumph

1 of 2

noun

tri·​umph ˈtrī-əm(p)f How to pronounce triumph (audio)
plural triumphs ˈtrī-əm(p)fs How to pronounce triumph (audio)
-əm(p)s
1
a
: a victory or conquest by or as if by military force
b
: a notable success
the party was a triumph
2
: the joy or exultation of victory or success
3
: a ceremony attending the entering of Rome by a general who had won a decisive victory over a foreign enemy compare ovation sense 1
triumphal adjective

triumph

2 of 2

verb

triumphed; triumphing; triumphs

intransitive verb

1
: to obtain victory : prevail
2
a
: to receive the honor of a triumph
b
: to celebrate victory or success boastfully or exultingly

Examples of triumph in a Sentence

Noun They earned a magnificent triumph over the invading army. They were able to achieve an important triumph against their chief rivals. Quitting smoking was a personal triumph for her. The party was a triumph. The bridge is an engineering triumph. They had a feeling of triumph after finishing the project. They stood atop the mountain in triumph. Verb His favorite team triumphed in the championship game. despite an accident early on, the runner persevered and ultimately triumphed
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The holiday commemorates a time for rebirth and the triumph of good over evil at the beginning of spring. Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Last month, the U.S. intelligence community’s global threat assessment warned that the latest Palestinian-Israeli war may not end anytime soon—or even in a conventional military triumph. Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024 Keeping the unemployment rate low in recent months has been a triumph of the U.S. economy. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 From the triumphs and tragedies of legendary athletes to the behind-the-scenes drama of iconic teams, these films capture the heart and soul of sports in a way that few other mediums can. Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 The miseries and triumphs of Mr. Greenfield’s life exemplified the classic tale of immigration to America. Alex Traub, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 The Free Press spoke with 11 people from Michigan about their struggles, triumphs and paths toward understanding their condition ― and, finally, healing. Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 The previous season had been viewed as a resounding triumph for Yamamoto, who dominated Japan’s minors and was elevated to the first team before the end of the year. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) An intimate tragedy about the struggles and tiny triumphs of working-class American women, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is grounded by one of the strongest performances in any Scorsese project. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024
Verb
Some pundits thought the film could triumph in the makeup and hairstyling category, but that award, like a number of other craft prizes, went to Poor Things. Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 In her still-young Met career, Davidsen has triumphed in works by Tchaikovsky, Wagner and especially Strauss. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Thus, Holi pays tribute to the moral of the myth: Good will always triumph over evil. Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 3 Feb. 2024 But in the end, Wray’s prediction was right: The high-schoolers triumphed and beat the agents 35 to 31. Perry Stein, Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2024 But in 2012, connectionism finally triumphed over other AI variants and a new flood of predictions about imminent AGI washed over the world. Gil Press, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 During the Cold War, anticommunism served as ideological glue between a democratic superpower and its autocratic allies, because the latter knew they were finished if the Soviet Union ever triumphed. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 This cycle of corruption, where personal interests triumph over public welfare, cannot persist. Tracy La, Orange County Register, 28 Jan. 2024 The Biggest Win Team USA has secured several significant victories at the Olympic Games, from clinching the inaugural women’s football gold medal at Atlanta in 1996 to triumphing over Japan at London 2012, following their World Cup loss the previous year. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'triumph.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English triumphe, from Old French, from Latin triumphus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of triumph was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near triumph

Cite this Entry

“Triumph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triumph. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

triumph

1 of 2 noun
tri·​umph ˈtrī-əm(p)f How to pronounce triumph (audio)
plural triumphs
1
: an ancient Roman ceremony honoring a victorious general
2
: the joy of victory or success
3
a
: a military victory or conquest
b
: any great success
a scientific triumph

triumph

2 of 2 verb
1
: to celebrate victory or success with much rejoicing
2
: to gain victory : win

More from Merriam-Webster on triumph

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