Vocab Bloom Hub

pyrrhic victory

/ˈpɪrɪk ˈvɪktəri/

1 entry

phrase

/ˈpɪrɪk ˈvɪktəri/C1formal
  • ruПобеда, которая достигается такой высокой ценой или с такими разрушительными потерями, что она по сути равносильна поражению; названа в честь царя Пирра Эпирского, который выиграл битву, но потерял большую часть своей армии.

A victory that comes at such a great cost or with such devastating losses that it is essentially equivalent to defeat, named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus who won a battle but lost most of his army.

  1. Costly successC1formal

    A victory that comes at such a great cost that it is essentially a defeat.

    ruПиррова победа

    • Winning the lawsuit was a pyrrhic victory, as the legal fees bankrupted the company.
    • The general's pyrrhic victory left his army too decimated to continue the campaign.
    • Getting the promotion turned out to be a pyrrhic victory, as it required moving to a city she hated.