pwn

American

[pohn, pawn, pee-ohn, -awn] / poʊn, pɔn, piˈoʊn, -ˈɔn /

verb (used with object)

Slang. to totally defeat or dominate, especially in a video or computer game.

You just got pwned!
I pwned those guys in the end.

Etymology

Origin of pwn

1990–95; intentional misspelling of own (used in the same sense), probably from the common mistake of typing “p” instead of the adjacent “o” on a standard keyboard

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To be clear, hackers having access to a program’s source code doesn’t immediately mean they can instantly pwn it, breaking through its defenses.

From The Verge • Aug. 26, 2022

We suspect you’ll totally pwn it, but you might want to brush up by reading a few of the articles we’ve published on the topic first.

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2016

Also, you can watch me pwn Father Gasciogne here.

From Forbes • Mar. 25, 2015

Hack the Planet, a hacker group that loved to pwn Anonymous, extended its loathing to LulzSec.

From Slate • Dec. 8, 2014

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023