triumph

triumph — noun

IPA/ˈtraɪʌmf/
KK[trˈaɪəmf]IPA/ˈtraɪʌmf/
  • triumphsingular
  • triumphsplural

1. An extremely impressive success, victory, or achievement that gives you a powerf

1.nounB2
Definition

An extremely impressive success, victory, or achievement that gives you a powerful feeling of joy and pride; the strong feeling of happiness you get from such an achievement.

Example

Winning the national science fair was the greatest triumph of Meera's high school years.

The local bookstore scored a triumph over the big online retailer by building community support.

triumph over [opponent]

Common collocations
  • great triumph
  • personal triumph
  • triumph over [opponent]
  • triumph of [quality]
  • in triumph
  • moment of triumph
  • sense of triumph
Synonyms
  • victory

    more neutral; used for any contest or fight, not necessarily a major one

  • achievement

    broader; does not imply defeating an opponent

  • conquest

    suggests defeating or overcoming something difficult, often with force

Antonyms
  • defeat

    the opposite of winning a contest

  • failure

    a lack of success in achieving a goal

Grammar Patterns

triumph over [opponent]

triumph of [quality]

in triumph

Usage Note

Countable when referring to a specific event ('a triumph', 'the triumph'); uncountable when referring to the feeling or concept ('a look of triumph on her face', 'a moment of triumph').

Common Mistakes

The team celebrated their triumph.
The team celebrated their triumph over the defending champions.
'triumph' is often followed by 'over' to specify what was defeated or overcome.
I felt a triumph.
I felt a sense of triumph.
When describing the emotion rather than the event, use 'a sense of triumph' or 'a feeling of triumph'.
Idioms

triumph of hope over experience

idiom

The tendency to remain optimistic and try again despite having failed or been disappointed many times before.

Booking a beach holiday during monsoon season was a triumph of hope over experience.

in triumph

idiom

In a state or manner that shows great happiness and pride because of a victory or success.

The winning team rode through the city centre in triumph, waving to cheering crowds.

triumph — verb

IPA/ˈtraɪ.əmf/
KK[trˈaɪəmf]IPA/ˈtraɪ.əmf/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Win is the most neutral and everyday word — it can describe anything from a card game to an election ("a lucky win at the lottery"). Victory is slightly more formal and often implies defeating an opponent in a competition, war, or election ("the team's victory in the championship final"). Triumph goes further: it suggests a major, hard-won achievement that brings deep pride and public recognition. A win can be small and routine, and a victory can be narrow or even hollow, but a triumph always carries emotional weight and a sense of glory ("returning home in triumph after winning the gold medal"). Use triumph when you want to emphasise both the difficulty of the struggle and the intensity of the joy that follows.

victory ↗win ↗triumph ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • triumph against all odds
  • triumph of the human spirit
  • triumph of justice
  • return in triumph

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Latin 'triumphus', the grand ceremonial procession held in ancient Rome to honour a victorious general. The word passed into Old French as 'triumphe' and then into Middle English. Originally referring to a specific Roman ceremony, its meaning gradually broadened to describe any great success or victory.