trophy

1 of 2

noun

tro·​phy ˈtrō-fē How to pronounce trophy (audio)
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

Examples of trophy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And as the Bad Boy Records founder triumphantly held his trophy in the air, a rainbow Rainbow Cosmograph Daytona could be seen dangling from his left wrist. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2023 Stephanie Pratt enjoys some face time with former The Hills costar Audrina Patridge – and that trophy – at the Leather and Laces party. Jacklyn Krol, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023 Karol was up for three awards this year, including the Artist of the Year trophy. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2023 Many anglers mistakenly think of the Bomber as great for casting to small and mid-size fish, but not trophies. Jimmy Fee, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023 The new titleholder will earn a trophy, kitchen gear and a $250,000 prize. Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2023 Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2023 Achilles captures her in a raid, and Agamemnon, the Greek commander, claims her as his war trophy. Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 Coco Gauff wins at the U.S. Open Coco Gauff, of the United States, kisses the championship trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 9, in New York. Josh Feldman, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trophy.' 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 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of trophy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near trophy

Cite this Entry

“Trophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trophy. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

trophy

noun
tro·​phy ˈtrō-fē How to pronounce trophy (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on trophy

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