Standard Lemma guide

pyrrhic

adj · noun · 12 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: /ˈpɪ.ɹɪk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪɹɪk
  • /ˈpɪɹɪk/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P IH1 R IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or characterized by pyrrhics (metrical feet with two short syllables).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonology, prosody, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Relating to Pyrrhus, a Macedonian king, or some of his costly victories he had while fighting Rome.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: Ancient Greece

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Alternative letter-case form of Pyrrhic (“achieved at too great a cost”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of or relating to Pyrrhus (319/318–272 BCE), Greek general and statesman.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: Ancient Greece

Examples

  • The Pyrrhic army lost the Pyrrhic war.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Achieved at too great a cost or detriment to have been worthwhile (as a victory, accomplishment, etc).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An Ancient Greek war dance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A metric foot with two short or unaccented syllables.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonology, prosody, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

of or relating to or resembling Pyrrhus or his exploits (especially his sustaining staggering losses in order to defeat the Romans)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a Pyrrhic victory

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective

Meaning 9

of or relating to or containing a metrical foot of two unstressed syllables

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • pyrrhic verses

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective

Meaning 10

of or relating to a war dance of ancient Greece

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • pyrrhic dance movements

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

an ancient Greek dance imitating the motions of warfare

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ritual dancing, ritual dance, ceremonial dance

12

noun

Meaning 12

a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed syllables

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dibrach

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: metrical foot, foot, metrical unit

History

Etymology

From Latin pyrrhichius (“dibrach”), from πυρρίχη (purrhíkhē, “war dance”), from πυρρός (purrhós, “flame-colored, red”), from πῦρ (pûr, “fire”).

Etymology tree English Pyrrhus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English Pyrrhic From Pyrrhus + -ic.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: pírric — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Chinese Mandarin: 得不偿失 (débùchángshī) — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Esperanto: pirika — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Finnish: pyrrhinen — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • French: pyrrhique — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • German: pyrrhisch — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Hungarian: pirruszi — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Italian: pirrico — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Latin: pyrrhichius — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Polish: pyrrusowy — Of or characterized by pyrrhics
  • Asturian: pírricu — of or relating to Pyrrhus (319/318–272 BC), Greek general and statesman
  • Esperanto: pirha — of or relating to Pyrrhus (319/318–272 BC), Greek general and statesman
  • Hungarian: pürroszi — of or relating to Pyrrhus (319/318–272 BC), Greek general and statesman
  • Asturian: pírricu — achieved at excessive cost
  • Catalan: pírric — achieved at excessive cost
  • Esperanto: pirha — achieved at excessive cost
  • German: Pyrrhus- (as in Pyrrhussieg) — achieved at excessive cost
  • German: pyrrhisch — achieved at excessive cost
  • Hungarian: pirruszi — achieved at excessive cost
  • Italian: pirrico — achieved at excessive cost
  • Portuguese: pírrico — achieved at excessive cost
  • Russian: пирров (pirrov) — achieved at excessive cost
  • Spanish: pírrico — achieved at excessive cost