trophy

1 of 2

noun

tro·​phy ˈtrō-fē 

plural trophies

1

: something gained or given in victory or conquest especially when preserved or mounted as a memorial

2

a

: a memorial of an ancient Greek or Roman victory raised on the field of battle or on the nearest land for a naval victory

b

: a representation of such a memorial (as on a medal)

also : an architectural ornament representing a group of military weapons

3

: a game animal or fish suitable for mounting as a trophy

—usually used attributively

4

: one that is prized for qualities that enhance prestige or social status

—usually used attributively

a trophy wife

a trophy house

trophy transitive verb

-trophy

2 of 2

noun combining form

: nutrition : nurture : growth

dystrophy

Synonyms of trophy

Noun

• jewel
• treasure
• honor

Examples of trophy in a Sentence

Noun

the mogul's latest trophies include a winter mansion in the Bahamas and a new sports car

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Westlake girls basketball and Glenn are among those hunting for a trophy. —American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026

Argyle players and coaches celebrate with their trophy and championship medals following their 51-42 victory over Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill to capture the state championship. —Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026

And are a lot of us eager to see Sabalenka try to add a big trophy to the new hardware on her ring finger—against, perhaps, Gauff, who at her best can blunt Sabalenka’s nuclear groundstrokes with her steady perseverance and wily strategy? —Corey Seymour, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2026

The Boeing 767 is painted with the team logo and colors, as well as six championship trophies on the tail. —Neal Riley, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French trophee, from Medieval Latin tropheum, from Latin tropaeum, trophaeum, from Greek tropaion, from neuter of tropaios of a turning, of a rout, from tropē turn, rout, from trepein to turn

Noun combining form

New Latin -trophia, from Greek, from -trophos nourishing, from trephein

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing trophy

• trophy wife

Rhymes for trophy

• sophy
• trophy
• hypertrophy
• theosophy

Kids Definition

trophy

noun

tro·​phy ˈtrō-fē 

plural trophies

1

: something taken from the enemy in victory or conquest especially when kept and displayed as proof of one's bravery or victory

took the enemy's flags as trophies

2

: something given in recognition of a victory or as an award for achievement

a golf trophy

trophied

-fēd

adjective