Pyrrhic victory means a success won at such great cost that it is almost indistinguishable from defeat. The phrase alludes to King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose victories against Rome were ruinously expensive. In poetry, it is powerful for tragic triumphs, war, revenge, ambition, love, politics, and moral compromise. A poet may use it to show that winning can hollow out the winner. The idiom is valuable for exploring irony, sacrifice, and the difference between outward victory and inward loss.

A Pyrrhic victory is a success won at such cost that it feels nearly like defeat, named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose victories over Rome were ruinously expensive. In poetry, it is useful for war, love, ambition, revenge, and political triumph that leaves spiritual or human wreckage. Students should notice the tragic irony: winning and losing become intertwined. The phrase asks whether the prize can survive the damage done to obtain it.