victory at great cost. Definition of Pyrrhic a victory that is won but has devastating effects on the victor Examples of Pyrrhic in a sentence Though the new mayor should have been happy to have won the pyrrhic election, the damage on his reputation made the win seem worthless. The president-elect\\'s pyrrhic victory did so much damage to his party that many members wished for a loss. Reeling from the pyrrhic victory, the general mourned the loss of his sons and cursed the day he let them join the war. The graduate\\'s pyrrhic victory was short-lived as he was overwhelmed with mounting student loan debt. The court ruling turned out to be a pyrrhic victory for the defendant who now owed several thousand dollars in legal fees.