pyrrhic

¹ American  

[pir-ik] / ˈpɪr ɪk /

adjective

1. consisting of two short or unaccented syllables.

2. composed of or pertaining to pyrrhics.

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noun

1. Also called dibrach.  a pyrrhic foot.

pyrrhic ² American  

[pir-ik] / ˈpɪr ɪk /

noun

1. an ancient Greek warlike dance in which the motions of actual warfare were imitated.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting this dance.

Pyrrhic ³ American  

[pir-ik] / ˈpɪr ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, or his costly victory.

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pyrrhic ¹ British  

/ ˈpɪrɪk /

noun

1. a metrical foot of two short or unstressed syllables

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adjective

1. of or relating to such a metrical foot

2. (of poetry) composed in pyrrhics

pyrrhic ² British  

/ ˈpɪrɪk /

noun

1. a war dance of ancient Greece

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adjective

1. of or relating to this dance

Etymology

Origin of pyrrhic¹

1620–30; < Latin pyrrhichius < Greek pyrrhíchios pertaining to the pyrrhíchē pyrrhic ²

Origin of pyrrhic²

1590–1600; < Latin pyrrhicha < Greek pyrrhíchē a dance; said to be named after Pyrrhichus, the inventor

Origin of Pyrrhic³

First recorded in 1880–85; Pyrrh(us) + -ic

Example Sentences

Fischer has a gift for highlighting the ways that moments that we now accept as inevitable were often the product of dumb luck, pyrrhic victories and tough decisions.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

It was the first of many pyrrhic outcomes for hijackers, whose goals soon devolved from liberating Palestine to liberating imprisoned authors of previous hijackings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

If you win, it may turn out to be a pyrrhic victory.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025

Gen. Saltzman said that the U.S. military wants to avoid a pyrrhic victory if war breaks out in space.

From Washington Times • Nov. 16, 2023

She deserved to hurl whatever was available, to keep us moving, to speak in counterpoint to the deadening strings of my pyrrhic feet.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee