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Definition of pyrrhic
: a metrical foot consisting of two short or unaccented syllables
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Origin and Etymology of pyrrhic
Latin pyrrhichius, from Greek (pous) pyrrhichios, from pyrrhichē, a kind of dance
Other Literature Terms
Pyrrhic
play
adjective
Pyr·rhic
\ˈpir-ik\
Definition of Pyrrhic
: 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
Recent Examples of pyrrhic from the Web
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By the time Mark Trumbo homered to make the score 8-8 when down to the Orioles’ final out and bring extra innings into the fold, the possibility of victory became pyrrhic.
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The heroism of Reynolds, Muflahi and Reed in the face of occupying forces are minuscule, pyrrhic triumphs in an ever-rising sea of blood.
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And that means a long and costly proxy battle, with at best a Pyrrhic victory for Microsoft.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'Pyrrhic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of pyrrhic
Pyrrhus, king of Epirus who sustained heavy losses in defeating the Romans
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