pyrrhic

From Latin pyrrhichius, from Ancient Greek πυρρίχιος (purrhíkhios), from πυρρίχη (purrhíkhē, “war dance”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɪɹ.ɪk/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪɹɪk

pyrrhic (not comparable)

1. (prosody) Of or characterized by pyrrhics (metrical feet with two short syllables).
2. Relating to Pyrrhus, a Macedonian king, or some of his costly victories he had while fighting Rome.
3. Alternative letter-case form of Pyrrhic (“achieved at too great a cost”)
   • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 199:

     Huwawa is slain; the victors triumph, but the victory is to be a pyrrhic one for Gilgamesh, for the gods have met in counsel and decreed that Enkidu should die.

   • 2015, Dag Heward-Mills, A Good General, Dag Heward-Mills, →ISBN:

     In the ministry, it is important to avoid pyrrhic victories. What really is a pyrrhic victory? A pyrrhic victory is a victory that comes with such devastating cost that ultimately nullifies the victory that has been achieved.

pyrrhic (plural pyrrhics)

1. An Ancient Greek war dance.
2. (prosody) A metric foot with two short or unaccented syllables.