Pyrrhic victory

Pyr·rhic victory  (prk)

n.

A victory that is offset by staggering losses.

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[After Pyrrhus.]

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Pyrrhic victory [pir-ik]

Noun

a victory in which the victor's losses are as great as those of the defeated [after Pyrrhus, who defeated the Romans in 279 bc but suffered heavy losses]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Pyrrhic victory - a victory that is won by incurring terrible losses triumph, victory - a successful ending of a struggle or contest; "a narrow victory"; "the general always gets credit for his army's victory"; "clinched a victory"; "convincing victory"; "the agreement was a triumph for common sense"