ə ˈpɪrɪk ˈvɪktəri
General
formal
advanced
- Literally:
- A victory belonging to Pyrrhus
What does "a pyrrhic victory" mean?
A victory that comes at such a great cost that it is essentially a defeat
Examples
- The company won the lawsuit, but the legal fees bankrupted them — it was a pyrrhic victory.
- Winning the custody battle proved to be a pyrrhic victory when it destroyed his relationship with his children.
- The army captured the city, but at such a devastating cost that it was a pyrrhic victory.
Origin
Named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus, who defeated the Romans at the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC but suffered irreplaceable casualties.
How to use it
Used in political, military, legal, and business contexts.
Similar expressions
hollow victory
empty win
costly triumph
Opposites
decisive victory
resounding success
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
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