trophy

noun tro·phy \ ˈtrō-fē \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of trophy

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

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trophy

transitive verb

See trophy defined for English-language learners

See trophy defined for kids

Recent Examples of trophy from the Web

Fishermen are catching good to excellent numbers of silvery and post-spawn steelhead trout on the Rocky, Chagrin and Cuyahoga rivers, from young skippers to trophy trout.

— cleveland.com, "Fishing Report for April 13: Rainbows in the Rocky; Wallace Lake drawn down," 13 Apr. 2018
What other sport can boast so many all-time superstars who never once got to hoist a trophy?

— jon tayler, SI.com, "The Astros' World Series Victory is Redemption for the Deserving Carlos Beltran," 2 Nov. 2017
No area teams brought home trophies, but South Milwaukee finished third in Division 1 and Port Washington third in Division 2.. Middleton (76) and Stevens Point (177) finished ahead of South Milwaukee (191) in Division 1.

— mark stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "State boys cross country: Homestead's Drew Bosley meets expectations with a title," 28 Oct. 2017
The Chargers get to keep the Battle for the Bell trophy, though.

— david carrillo peñaloza, Daily Pilot, "Edison owns Fountain Valley in the Battle for the Bell football rivalry," 27 Oct. 2017
There are still many trophy wives, princesses and doting mothers in denial about all the blood on the hands of their sons and husbands.

— malcolm beith, Newsweek, "El Chapo Is Going Down. How Many Drug Lords, Assassins, Politicians and Policemen Will He Take with Him?," 19 Oct. 2017
The trophies, plaques and photo display in the spare room come to his rescue.

— ailene voisin, sacbee, "Meet De’Aaron Fox, new face of the Kings: An ‘old soul’ with taste for Beethoven," 22 Sep. 2017
Defender Kyle Smith had no sooner lifted the trophy than fans rushed the field in jubilation.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "History-making win is 'pure bliss' as Louisville City FC moves on to USL championship," 5 Nov. 2017
The Astros haven't won a title in 56 seasons of existence, while the Dodgers haven't raised the trophy in 29 years.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "Astros vs. Dodgers 2017 live stream, score updates; World Series Game 7 time, TV channel, watch online," 1 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trophy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of trophy

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

trophy Synonyms

Phrases

a feather in one's cap;

-trophy

noun combining form

Definition of -trophy

: nutrition : nurture : growth

dystrophy

Origin and Etymology of -trophy

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

TROPHY Defined for English Language Learners

trophy

noun

Definition of trophy for English Language Learners

: an object (such as a large cup or sculpture) that is given as a prize for winning a competition
: something that you keep or take to show that you were successful in hunting, war, etc.