Meaning: This idiom refers to a victory that comes at such a great cost that it is almost tantamount to defeat. It implies that the winner has suffered so much in achieving the victory that it negates any sense of achievement or profit.
Usage in Example Sentences:
- “Winning the lawsuit was a Pyrrhic victory because the legal fees left them bankrupt.”
- “The team’s win was a Pyrrhic victory; they lost two key players to injuries during the game.”
- “After months of intense work, completing the project felt like a Pyrrhic victory, as everyone was too exhausted to celebrate.”
Origin: The idiom “Pyrrhic victory” originates from the name of King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose army suffered irreplaceable casualties in defeating the Romans at Heraclea in 280 BC and Asculum in 279 BC during the Pyrrhic War. Despite winning the battles, Pyrrhus is reported to have said, “One more such victory and we are lost,” acknowledging that the heavy losses rendered the victories almost worthless. The phrase has since been used to describe any situation where the cost of winning is so high that it overshadows the achievement itself.
