trophy

¹ American  

[troh-fee] / ˈtroʊ fi /

noun

plural

trophies

1. anything taken in war, hunting, competition, etc., especially when preserved as a memento; spoil, prize, or award.

2. anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, skill, etc..

   a sports trophy.

3. a symbol of success that is used to impress others.

   He bought the lavish home as a trophy.

4. a carving, painting, or other representation of objects associated with or symbolic of victory or achievement.

5. any memento or memorial.

6. a memorial erected by certain ancient peoples, especially the Greeks and Romans, in commemoration of a victory in war and consisting of arms or other spoils taken from the enemy and hung upon a tree, pillar, or the like.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to a symbol of success that is used to impress others.

   They just want a near-perfect trophy child to brag about.

-trophy ² American  

1. a combining form used in the formation of nouns with the general senses “nourishment, feeding” (mycotrophy ), “growth” (hypertrophy ); also forming abstract nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -trophic.

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trophy ¹ British  

/ ˈtrəʊfɪ /

noun

1. an object such as a silver or gold cup that is symbolic of victory in a contest, esp a sporting contest; prize

2. a memento of success, esp one taken in war or hunting

3. 1. a memorial to a victory, usually consisting of captured arms raised on the battlefield or in a public place

   2. a representation of such a memorial

4. an ornamental carving that represents a group of weapons, etc

5. informal (modifier) highly desirable and regarded as a symbol of wealth or success

   a trophy wife

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-trophy ² British  

combining form

1. indicating a certain type of nourishment or growth

   dystrophy

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Usage

What does -trophy mean? The combining form -trophy is used like a suffix variously meaning “nourishment, feeding, growth." It is also used to form nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -trophic. The combining -trophy is often used in medical and scientific terms.The form -trophy comes from the Greek trophḗ, meaning “nourishment,” “food.”You may be familiar with terms like atrophy (equivalent to the Greek átrophos) from the Greek and dystrophy (from the New Latin dystrophia). Find out how these relate to -trophy and "nourishment" at our entries for these words.Corresponding forms of -trophy combined to the beginning of words are tropho- and troph-. Another form closely related to -trophy is -troph.

Other Word Forms

• -trophic combining form
• trophyless adjective

Etymology

Origin of trophy¹

1505–15; earlier trophe < French trophée < Latin trop ( h ) aeum < Greek trópaion, noun use of neuter of trópaios, Attic variant of tropaîos of turning or putting to flight, equivalent to trop ( ḗ ) a turning (akin to trépein to turn) + -aios adj. suffix. See trope

Origin of -trophy²

< Greek -trophia nutrition, equivalent to troph ( ḗ ) food + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

He doesn’t need another green jacket, another title, another trophy to add to his legendary collection.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

With Senegal refusing to relinquish the trophy, and with Saturday's planned parade a sign of their contempt, the battle to be crowned African champions is far from over.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Miguel Rojas, whose home run stunned the Toronto Blue Jays, held the 2025 trophy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Freddie Freeman, whose grand slam doomed the New York Yankees, held the 2024 trophy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

But he was awarded a handsome trophy for achieving the best score of a player under the age of thirteen.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• citation
• crown
• cup
• decoration
• gold
• keepsake
• medal
• memento
• prize
• souvenir