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
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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
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