Triumph
What it means
A great success achieved through effort, courage, or difficulty.
Reach for it when celebrating a meaningful victory whose obstacles are part of its significance
Completing the bridge was a triumph for the small volunteer team.
Words to choose between 7
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
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| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when concise informal celebration fits
Careful Win is too slight for a hard-earned, lasting achievement.
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everyday
Fits when defeating opposition or winning a contest is central
Careful Victory can be narrow or easy, while triumph often emphasizes scale and feeling.
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professional
Fits when completed work and personal effort deserve emphasis
Careful An achievement need not involve opposition or public celebration.
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professional
Fits when overcoming a barrier opens further progress
Careful A breakthrough can be preliminary and not yet a full success.
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professional
Fits when achieving the objective matters without drama
Careful Success is broader and may be routine.
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formal
Fits when unusual skill or difficulty is central
Careful A feat praises performance more than the resulting victory.
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literary
tour de force
Fits when masterful execution deserves artistic praise
Careful The phrase is ornate and concerns virtuosity rather than every triumph.
Opposites 3
- defeat
- failure
- setback
Common phrases 3
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major triumph
The major triumph was restoring service without displacing the market.
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personal triumph
Returning to the stage was a personal triumph, not a demand for constant bravery.
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triumph over
The ruling was a triumph over an exclusionary rule rather than over its former users.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated