Standard Lemma guide

won

noun · verb · 7 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: wŏn
  • Received-Pronunciation: /wɒn/
  • US: wän
  • US: /wɑn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒn
  • homophone: one (for speakers who pronounce that word as /wɒn/)
  • homophone: wan
  • wŭn
  • /wʌn/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌn
  • homophone: one (in most accents)
  • UK: /wɒn/
  • rhymes with (UK) -ɒn
  • CMU ARPABET: W AH1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: W AA1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The currency of Korea, worth 100 jun in North Korea and 100 jeon in South Korea.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ₩

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

simple past and past participle of win

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To live, remain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, obsolete, regional

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To be accustomed to do something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, obsolete, regional

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not subject to defeat

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • with that move it's a won game

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: lost

6

noun

Meaning 6

the basic unit of money in North Korea

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: North Korean won

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: North Korean monetary unit

7

noun

Meaning 7

the basic unit of money in South Korea

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: South Korean won

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: South Korean monetary unit

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Korean 원(圓) (won), from Sinitic 圓 /圆 (“circle” > “round coin”) referring to the piece of eight. Doublet of yuan and yen.

* Past participle of win, from Old English winnan.

From Old English wunian, from Proto-Germanic *wunāną, from Proto-Indo-European *wenh1- (“to wish, love”). Cognate with Dutch wonen, German wohnen.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: վոն (von) — currency of Korea
  • Belarusian: во́на (vóna) — currency of Korea
  • Bulgarian: вон (von) — currency of Korea
  • Chinese Mandarin: 韓圓 /韩圆 (Hán yuán) — currency of Korea
  • Chinese Mandarin: 朝鮮圓 /朝鲜圆 (Cháoxiǎn yuán) — currency of Korea
  • Estonian: vonn — currency of Korea
  • French: won — currency of Korea
  • Georgian: ვონი (voni) — currency of Korea
  • Hindi: वॉन (vŏn) — currency of Korea
  • Hungarian: von — currency of Korea
  • Indonesian: won — currency of Korea
  • Japanese: ウォン (won) — currency of Korea
  • Kazakh: уон (uon) — currency of Korea
  • Khmer: វ៉ុន (von) — currency of Korea
  • Korean: 원 (won) — currency of Korea
  • Macedonian: вон (von) — currency of Korea
  • Persian: وون (von) — currency of Korea
  • Polish: won — currency of Korea
  • Russian: во́на (vóna) — currency of Korea
  • Thai: วอน (wɔɔn) — currency of Korea
  • Ukrainian: во́на (vóna) — currency of Korea
  • Uyghur: ۋون (won) — currency of Korea