|
Definition of Pyrrhic victory
1. Noun. A victory that is won by incurring terrible losses.
Definition of Pyrrhic victory
1. Noun. A very costly victory, wherein the considerable losses outweigh the gain, so as to render the struggle not worth the cost. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Lexicographical Neighbors of Pyrrhic Victory
Literary usage of Pyrrhic victory
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage by Inc. Merriam-Webster (1994)
"1980 pyjamas See PAJAMAS, PYJAMAS. pyrrhic victory Your dictionary will tell you
what pyrrhic victory means: “a victory won at excessive cost. ..."
2. The Literary Digest History of the World War: Compiled from Original and (1920)
""Pyrrhic victory" because the immense losses in ships and men could hardly have
been surpassed in defeat. The Amsterdam Tijd said Spencer Churchill's "rats" ..."
3. Life and Writings of John Ruskin by Ashmore Kyle Paterson Wingate (1910)
"... gained a Pyrrhic victory legally, and a real and invisible one morally; while
the former gained a Pyrrhic victory morally, and a real and visible one ..."
4. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge (1919)
"Pyrrhic victory, a victory so dearly bought that it is almost a defeat, so called
from the defeat of the Romans at Asculum 279 BC by ..."