Standard Lemma guide

pwn

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /pəʊn/
  • UK: /pɔːn/
  • UK, rare: /piˈəʊn/
  • US: /poʊn/
  • US: /piˈoʊn/
  • US: /pɔn/
  • US, rare: /piˈɔn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔːn
  • rhymes with -əʊn
  • rhymes with -ɔn
  • rhymes with -oʊn
  • homophone: pone
  • pē dŭb′əl-yo͞o ĕn
  • -yo͝o-

1

noun

Meaning 1

Triumph, victory. Often exclaimed after an opponent in a video game is defeated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An exploit in computer security, especially relating to machine code.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, countable, uncountable

Qualifier: computer security

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Abbreviation of pulsar wind nebula.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plerion

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Abbreviation of person with narcolepsy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: narcoleptic

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To own, to defeat or dominate (someone or something, especially a game or someone playing a game).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, ambitransitive, dated

Topics: games, gaming

Examples

  • I pwned them in game!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: own, pwnz0r

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From own, possibly born out of a typographical error (the adjacency of o and p on qwerty keyboards).

Abbreviation of pulsar wind nebula.

Abbreviation of person with narcolepsy.