What does "trophy" mean?
An object, usually in the form of a statuette, cup, or shield, awarded for success in a competition or to mark a special achievement.
Trophy
/ˈtɹoʊfi/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An object, usually in the form of a statuette, cup, or shield, awarded for success in a competition or to mark a special achievement.
- Grammar: trophy is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: prize, a prize, ambition, arch.
- Useful contrasts: common object, defeat, everyday object.
- Usage evidence: The manager bestowed a trophy on him.
How to use "trophy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "trophy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "trophy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "trophy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "trophy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "trophy" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "prize" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "trophy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An object, usually in the form of a statuette, cup, or shield, awarded for success in a competition or to mark a special achievement.
"He won the trophy in a running competition."
- 2 something given as a token of victory wordnet
- 3 An object taken as a prize by a hunter, or a conqueror or belligerent, especially one that is displayed.
"The set of antlers which hung on the wall was his prized trophy."
- 4 an award for success in war or hunting wordnet
- 5 Any emblem of success; a status symbol.
"His trophies included his second wife, his successful children, the third and fourth homes in Palm Beach and Malibu, and his three yachts."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 An object taken by a serial killer or rapist as a memento of the crime. broadly
- 7 A tropæum. Ancient-Rome, historical
- 8 A display of weaponry and other militaria, often captured from a defeated enemy, as an ornament designed for the purpose of triumphalist display by a victor or as a show of military prowess by a monarch.
"The souvenirs which many killers retain of their victims are often described as trophies, and Norman Bates's taxidermic interests derived from the real-life Ed Gein."
- 9 An artifact or artwork that has been stolen by a criminal and traded on the black market.
- 10 An animal killed by a trophy hunter that usually has its parts sold on the black market.
Verb
- 1 To adorn (someone) with trophies. transitive
"How many a night serene, shall I behold / Those vvarm attractive orbits, close inshrined / In ether, over vvhich Love's column rose / Marmoreal, trophied round vvith golden hair."
- 2 To win a trophy in a competition. intransitive
"He trophied at the 1993, 1994, 2012 and 2015 National Championships and was most proud of winning his class at the 2017 Spring Nationals."
Example
"The manager bestowed a trophy on him."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "trophy"?
Common synonyms include: prize, a prize, ambition, arch, award, award.
How do you use "trophy" in a sentence?
The manager bestowed a trophy on him.
How do you pronounce "trophy"?
Pronounced /ˈtɹoʊfi/.
Etymology
From Middle French trophée, from Latin trophaeum (“a sign of victory, a monument”), tropaeum, from Ancient Greek τρόπαιον (trópaion, “monument of an enemy's defeat”), from neuter of τροπαῖος (tropaîos, “of defeat”), from τροπή (tropḗ, “a rout, a turning of an enemy”).