First Known Use: 1626
Dictionary
pyrrhic
noun pyr·rhic \ˈpir-ik\
Definition of PYRRHIC
: a metrical foot consisting of two short or unaccented syllables
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Origin of PYRRHIC
Latin pyrrhichius, from Greek (pous) pyrrhichios, from pyrrhichē, a kind of dance
Other Literature Terms
Pyrrhic
adjective Pyr·rhic \ˈpir-ik\
Definition of PYRRHIC
: achieved at excessive cost <a Pyrrhic victory>; also : costly to the point of negating or outweighing expected benefits <a great but Pyrrhic act of ingenuity>
Origin of PYRRHIC
Pyrrhus, king of Epirus who sustained heavy losses in defeating the Romans
First Known Use: 1838
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