Pyrrhic victory
Win costing everything
A Pyrrhic victory is a win that costs so much it feels like a defeat.
The term comes from King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose military victories against Rome in the 3rd century BCE devastated his own army.
The phrase applies to any success where the price—in lives, resources, relationships, or reputation—outweighs the gain: He got the promotion, but alienating his entire team made it a Pyrrhic victory.
Causing severe damage
- ruinousCausing severe destruction
- cripplingCausing severe impairment
- exhaustingDepleting one's stamina
- debilitatingCausing severe impairment
draining · depletion · unsustainable · damaging · dire · casualties · attrition · sacrifice
Failing to gratify
- futileIncapable of producing results
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- insubstantialLacking physical or material substance
- unfulfillingLacking emotional reward
fruitless · unrewarding · vain · joyless · anticlimactic · not worth it
Sorrow over past actions
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- ambivalenceConflicting emotions coexisting
- mixed feelingsConflicting emotional responses
- taintedContaminated, made impure
disappointment · poignant · irony · resignation · resentment
Early civilization military conflicts
- Roman legionsAncient Italian imperial armies
- battlefield lossesTroops killed in combat
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
Immediate but fleeting benefit
- resource depletionExhausting available materials gradually
- overextensionExceeding sustainable capacity
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
devastating
Causing severe damage
- ruinousCausing severe destruction
- cripplingCausing severe impairment
- exhaustingDepleting one's stamina
debilitating · draining · depletion · unsustainable · damaging · dire · casualties · attrition · sacrifice · pyrrhic
unsatisfying
Failing to gratify
- futileIncapable of producing results
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- insubstantialLacking physical or material substance
unfulfilling · fruitless · unrewarding · vain · joyless · anticlimactic · not worth it
regret
Sorrow over past actions
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- ambivalenceConflicting emotions coexisting
- mixed feelingsConflicting emotional responses
tainted · disappointment · poignant · irony · resignation · resentment
ancient warfare
Early civilization military conflicts
- Roman legionsAncient Italian imperial armies
- battlefield lossesTroops killed in combat
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
short-term gain
Immediate but fleeting benefit
- resource depletionExhausting available materials gradually
- overextensionExceeding sustainable capacity
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- Greek & RomanAchilles heel, Trojan horse, Pandora's box, Midas touch, Odyssey
- Mythological WordsAchilles heel, Adonis, aegis, ambrosia, Apollo
- trade-offstrade-off, pros and cons, double-edged sword, mixed blessing, give and take
- futilityfutile, futility, in vain, pointlessness, vain
- Historical AllusionsTrojan horse, Achilles heel, crossing the Rubicon, Pandora's box, sword of Damocles
- Pyrrhic Victorieswar of attrition, decimation, bloodbath
Pyrrhic victorydecisive victory
Overwhelming win, clear outcome
net gain · flawless victory · walkover · landslide victory · triumph
Pyrrhic victorytotal loss
Irreparably damaged item
rout · crushing defeat · debacle · catastrophe · moral victory