trophy

1 of 2

noun

tro·​phy ˈtrō-fē How to pronounce trophy (audio)
plural trophies
1
: something gained or given in victory or conquest especially when preserved or mounted as a memorial
2
a
: a memorial of an ancient Greek or Roman victory raised on the field of battle or on the nearest land for a naval victory
b
: a representation of such a memorial (as on a medal)
also : an architectural ornament representing a group of military weapons
3
: a game animal or fish suitable for mounting as a trophy
usually used attributively
4
: one that is prized for qualities that enhance prestige or social status
usually used attributively
a trophy wife
a trophy house
trophy transitive verb

-trophy

2 of 2

noun combining form

: nutrition : nurture : growth
dystrophy

Examples of trophy in a Sentence

Noun the mogul's latest trophies include a winter mansion in the Bahamas and a new sports car
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In fact, he's come for the Toronto rapper's song of the summer trophy. Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 5 July 2024 Meanwhile, David has won several major trophies in his 20 years on the pitch, including 6 Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 4 July 2024 Her Award) took home two trophies each, Megan Thee Stallion opened the show with fiery medley of tracks from her new Megan LP, and Black country stars Shaboozey and Tanner Adell made their respective BET Awards debuts. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 2 July 2024 Billionaire Bernard Arnault has joined the chase to purchase a storied Venice hotel, one of the trophy assets put on the market in the messy fallout from the implosion of Rene Benko’s Signa Group. Beth Greenfield, Fortune Europe, 1 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for trophy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trophy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French trophee, from Medieval Latin tropheum, from Latin tropaeum, trophaeum, from Greek tropaion, from neuter of tropaios of a turning, of a rout, from tropē turn, rout, from trepein to turn

Noun combining form

New Latin -trophia, from Greek, from -trophos nourishing, from trephein

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trophy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near trophy

Cite this Entry

“Trophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trophy. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

trophy

noun
tro·​phy ˈtrō-fē How to pronounce trophy (audio)
plural trophies
1
: something taken from the enemy in victory or conquest especially when kept and displayed as proof of one's bravery or victory
took the enemy's flags as trophies
2
: something given in recognition of a victory or as an award for achievement
a golf trophy
trophied
-fēd
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on trophy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!