Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense wins, present participle winning, past tense, past participle won
1. verb
If you win something such as a competition, battle, or argument, you defeat those people youare competing or fighting against, or you do better than everyone else involved.
He does not have any realistic chance of winning the election. [VERB noun]
The NCAA basketball championship was won by North Carolina. [VERB noun]
...when Napoleon was winning his great battles in Italy. [VERB noun]
The top four teams all won. [VERB]
Konta won 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. [VERB amount]
Synonyms: be victorious in, succeed in, prevail in, come first in More Synonyms of win
Win is also a noun.
...Arsenal's dismal league run of eight games without a win.
There were narrow wins for the Democrats in Texas and Ohio.
2. verb
If something wins you something such as an election, competition, battle, or argument, it causes you to defeat the people competing withyou or fighting you, or to do better than everyone else involved.
That sort of gain for Labour is nothing like good enough to win them the generalelection. [VERB noun noun]
Graham is more determined than ever to win the club its third Championship underhis command. [VERB noun noun]
3. verb
If you win something such as a prize or medal, you get it because you have defeated everyone else in something such as an election, competition,battle, or argument, or have done very well in it.
The first correct entry wins the prize. [VERB noun]
She won bronze for Great Britain in the European Championships. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: gain, get, receive, land [informal] More Synonyms of win
4. verb
If you win something that you want or need, you succeed in getting it.
...moves to win the support of the poor. [VERB noun]
British Aerospace has won an order worth 340 million dollars. [VERB noun]
5. verb
If something wins you a prize or wins you something else that you want, it causes you to get it.
The feat won them a prize of £85,000. [VERB noun noun]
Good weather leading to good grain harvests should win the country relief from foodshortages. [VERB noun noun]
6. See also winning
7.
See can't win
8.
See you win
9. to lose the battle but win the war
10. to win the day
11. to win hands down
Phrasal verbs:
See win back
See win out
See win over
See win round
See win through
See win through to
More Synonyms of win
win in British English1
(wɪn)
verbWord forms: wins, winning or won
1. (intransitive)
to achieve first place in a competition
2. (transitive)
to gain or receive (a prize, first place, etc) in a competition
3. (transitive)
to succeed in or gain (something) with an effort
we won recognition
4. win one's spurs
5.
to gain victory or triumph in (a battle, argument, etc)
6. (transitive)
to earn or procure (a living, etc) by work
7. (transitive)
to take possession of, esp violently; capture
the Germans never won Leningrad
8. (whenintr, foll by out, through, etc)
to reach with difficulty (a desired condition or position) or become free, loose, etc, with effort
the boat won the shore
the boat won through to the shore
9. (transitive)
to turn someone into (a supporter, enemy, etc)
you have just won an ally
10. (transitive)
to gain (the sympathy, loyalty, etc) of someone
11. (transitive)
to obtain (a woman, etc) in marriage
12. (transitive)
a.
to extract (ore, coal, etc) from a mine
b.
to extract (metal or other minerals) from ore
c.
to discover and make (a mineral deposit) accessible for mining
13. you can't win
noun
14. informal
a success, victory, or triumph
15.
profit; winnings
16.
the act or fact of reaching the finishing line or post first
Derived forms
winnable (ˈwinnable)
adjective
Word origin
Old English winnan; related to Old Norse vinna, German gewinnen
win in British English2
(wɪn)
verbWord forms: wins, winning, won or winned(transitive) Irish, Scottish and Northern England dialect
1.
to dry (grain, hay, peat, etc) by exposure to sun and air
2. a less common word for winnow
Word origin
Old English, perhaps a variant of winnow
win in American English
(wɪn)
verb intransitiveWord forms: won or ˈwinning
1.
a.
to gain a victory; be victorious; triumph
sometimes with out
b.
to finish in first place in a race, contest, etc.
2.
to succeed in reaching or achieving a specified condition or place; get
with various prepositions, adverbs, or adjectives
to win back to health
verb transitive
3.
to get by effort, labor, struggle, etc.
; specif.,
a.
to gain or acquire through accomplishment
to win distinctions
b.
to achieve or attain (one's point, demands, etc.)
c.
to gain (a prize or award) in competition
d.
to obtain or earn (a livelihood, security, etc.)
4.
to be successful or victorious in (a contest, game, dispute, etc.)
5.
to get to, usually with effort; reach
they won the top of the hill by noon
6.
to prevail upon; influence; persuade
often with over
to win someone over to one's side
7.
a.
to gain the sympathy, favor, affection, or love of
to win a supporter, friend, etc.
b.
to gain (someone's sympathy, affection, love, etc.)
8.
to persuade to marry one
9.
a.
to extract (metal, minerals, etc.) from ore
b.
to obtain (coal, ore, etc.) by mining
c.
to prepare (a vein, shaft, etc.) for mining
noun
10.
an act of winning; victory, as in a contest
11.
first position at the finish of a race
Word origin
ME winnen < OE winnan, to fight, endure, struggle, akin to Ger winnen, to struggle, contend < IE base *wen-, to desire, strive for > wish, L venus, love
More idioms containing
win
win hands down
Examples of 'win' in a sentence
win
You are giving up the certainty of getting little for the chance of winning something bigger.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She won the competition four months ago and has had to sit on the secret since then.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The only way to help the housing crisis is by winning elections.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The political centre still makes sense as an idea and it is still where victory is won.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The first is the battle to win a deeper public understanding.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It was a first win on the road this season and a first clean sheet.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is a big win and hopefully we can crack on from it.
The Sun (2016)
If you think that you can go and win on something, you can.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This poor effort made it no wins in eight and no goals in four for Bolton.
The Sun (2016)
He sees a bigger budget, the chance to buy better players and win something.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It would be great to win something.
The Sun (2010)
The picture will also be entered in our monthly competition to win a holiday.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The presidential heir apparent has not won the election yet.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Who will win battle to stay up?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We need to win eight of our last ten games to have any chance of staying up.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You win by gaining more territory than your opponent.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Imagine winning the local lottery first prize of five thousand pounds.
Wallace, Louise M & Bundy, Christine Coping with Angina (1990)
Their three wins were a triumph for high quality and organised management.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Winning your first match on the tour is a big deal.
The Sun (2016)
If he had stayed fit we would probably have won something by now.
The Sun (2016)
He was the man to win an election.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They want to be direct and win that ego battle by rolling over the top of you.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He was out walking his dogs a few hours before turning up to win at his local track.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Their act won the competition for which the prize was a week's tour.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Those whose citizens live in peace and don't have to die in wars and win triumphs?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Players want to win something, so do the fans.
The Sun (2015)
Conventional wisdom says that it's almost impossible to have a team racing for both sprint wins and overall victory.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Who won the big fight?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
When he called her to tell her that he had won a big photography prize she was thrilled and planned a party with friends that weekend.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The City game would be the last they would lose all season as they embarked on a run of eight wins and two draws.
The Sun (2013)
WOLVES ended a run of eight games without victory with a win over fellow strugglers Wigan.
The Sun (2012)
This is harder but he is ahead of the handicapper and can gain his FOURTH win of the year.
The Sun (2006)
Not series win, but Test win.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
How long ago that Test win in Jamaica now feels.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Quotations
You can't win them all
In other languages
win
British English: win /wɪn/ VERB
If you win something such as a competition, battle, or argument, you defeat those people you are competing or fighting against, or you do better than everyone else involved.
He does not have any realistic chance of winning the election.
The top four teams all won.
American English: win
Arabic: يَفُوزُ
Brazilian Portuguese: vencer
Chinese: 赢得
Croatian: pobijediti
Czech: vyhrát
Danish: vinde
Dutch: winnen
European Spanish: ganar vencer
Finnish: voittaa
French: gagner concours
German: gewinnen
Greek: κερδίζω
Italian: vincere
Japanese: 勝つ
Korean: 이기다
Norwegian: vinne
Polish: wygrać
European Portuguese: vencer
Romanian: a câștiga
Russian: побеждать
Latin American Spanish: ganar Obtener lo que se disputa
Swedish: vinna
Thai: ชนะ
Turkish: kazanmak
Ukrainian: перемагати
Vietnamese: chiến thắng
All related terms of 'win'
win-win
A win-win situation is one where you are certain to do well or be successful .
Ne Win
U ( uː ). 1911–2002, Burmese statesman and general; prime minister (1958–60), head of the military government (1962–74), and president (1974–81)
no-win
If you are in a no-win situation, any action you take will fail to benefit you in any way.
win out
If something or someone wins out or wins through , they are successful after a competition or struggle .
you win
You say ' you win ' when you have been having a slight argument with someone and you are indicating that you agree to do what they want or that you accept their suggestion , even though you do not really want to.
away win
a game won at an opponent's ground
can't win
If you say that someone can't win in a particular situation , you mean that they are certain to fail or to suffer whatever they do.
win back
If you win back something that you have lost , you get it again, especially as a result of a great effort .
win over
If you win someone over or win them round , you persuade them to support you or agree with you.
win round
win hearts
You can refer to someone's heart when you are talking about their deep feelings and beliefs.
win through
win-win situation
You use situation to refer generally to what is happening in a particular place at a particular time, or to refer to what is happening to you.
win hands down
to win a contest easily
win through to
If you win through to a particular position or stage of a competition , you achieve it after a great effort or by defeating opponents .
you can't win
an expression of resignation after an unsuccessful attempt to overcome difficulties
no-win, no-fee
in which the legal firm taking the case is only paid if it wins the case and obtains damages for its client
no-win situation
a situation offering no possibility of a favourable outcome
win one's spurs
to earn knighthood
win the exchange
to win a rook in return for a bishop or knight
to win hands down
If you win hands down , you win very easily .
to win the popular vote
to get a majority as regards the votes cast by individual voters
win (or lose) by a neck
to win (or lose ) by the length of a horse's head and neck
to win the day lose the day
If a particular person, group, or thing wins the day , they win a battle , struggle , or competition . If they lose the day , they are defeated .
win one's spurs/earn one's spurs
If you win your spurs or earn your spurs , you achieve a particular status by proving that you can do something skilfully.
lose/win the battle, win/lose the war to lose the battle but win the war
If you say that someone has lost the battle , but won the war , you mean that although they have been defeated in a small conflict they have won a larger, more important one of which it was a part. If you say that someone has won the battle but lost the war , you mean that they have won the small conflict but lost the larger one.