Winning — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈwi-niŋ/ win·ning

Meaning & Definition of Winning

Winning (noun)

  1. the act of one that wins, victory
  2. something won
  3. a captured territory, conquest

Winning (adjective)

  1. of or relating to winning, that wins
  2. successful especially in competition
  3. tending to please or delight

Winning (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having qualities that tend to make one loved

    "a particularly pretty and winning child"

    similar: adorable, darling, dear, disarming, endearing, lovable, lovesome, precious, sweet, winsome
    related: embraceable, kissable, beloved, cherished, favored, favorite, loved, treasured, attractive, beautiful, desirable, lovely, alluring, appealing, captivating, charming, enchanting, engaging, entrancing, fascinating, fetching, admirable, likable, reputable, respectable, affable, agreeable, cheerful, cordial, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, kind, nice, pleasant, delightful, pleasing, well-disposed
    opposite: abhorrent, abominable, detestable, hateful, loathsome, odious, unlovable
    near: unloved, contemptible, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, heinous, horrible, lousy, nasty, offensive, unlikable, unpleasant, wretched, frightful, grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, monstrous, ogreish, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, ugly, unattractive, unsightly, vile, appalling, awful, dreadful, foul, horrendous, horrid, nauseating, noisome, obnoxious, obscene, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening

  2. likely or intended to win one's affection

    "flashed a winning smile that soon had us at her beck and call"

    similar: disarming, endearing, ingratiating, insinuating, winsome
    related: adorable, charming, likable, lovable, affecting, poignant, touching, adulatory, deferential, effusive, flattering, fulsome, groveling, kowtowing, obsequious, servile, sycophantic, drooling, oleaginous, slavering, slobbering, saccharine, soapy, sugary, unctuous
    opposite: unendearing, uningratiating
    near: alienating, disaffecting, displeasing, repugnant, repulsive, arrogant, disdainful, haughty, insolent, proud, scornful

Winning (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in win, victory

    similar: triumph, victory, win, conquest, dominating, domination, overpowering, subduing, subjecting, subjection, subjugating, subjugation, vanquishing, beating, defeat, drubbing, licking, shellacking, trimming, trouncing, whipping, enslavement, takeover
    opposite: emancipation, enfranchisement, freeing, liberation, manumission, release

Winning (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to achieve victory (as in a contest)

    "the kind of person who always has to win—even if the game is just for fun"

    similar: conquering, prevailing, triumphing, carrying the day, kicking butt
    related: overcoming, sweeping, squeaking, squeezing, contending, vying, succeeding, breezing, romping
    opposite: losing
    near: collapsing, failing, flopping, folding, washing out, floundering, struggling, declining, slipping, slumping, waning

  2. to receive as return for effort

    "win a gold medal in swimming"

    similar: acquiring, attaining, bagging, bringing in, capturing, carrying, coming by, drawing, earning, gaining, garnering, getting, knocking down, landing, making, obtaining, procuring, pulling down, realizing, reaping, securing
    related: clearing, grossing, netting, accomplishing, achieving, notching (up), scoring, accumulating, amassing, racking up, catching, picking up, annexing, occupying, taking over, reacquiring, reattaining, recapturing, regaining, remaking
    opposite: forfeiting, losing
    near: according, giving, granting, paying, giving up, handing over, parting (with), relinquishing, surrendering, yielding

  3. to obtain (as a goal) through effort

    "won a substantial victory in the struggle for civil rights for all"

    similar: achieving, attaining, bagging, chalking up, clocking (up) (chiefly British), gaining, hitting, logging, making, notching (up), racking up, ringing up, scoring
    related: acquiring, capturing, carrying, drawing, garnering, getting, landing, obtaining, procuring, realizing, securing, amounting (to), approaching, equaling, matching, measuring up (to), meeting, rivaling, touching, tying, beating, excelling, outdoing, surpassing, topping
    near: falling short (of), missing, failing (at), losing

Related Entry: Win (verb)

Win is a different word from Winning. The synonyms below are for win, not for winning.

  1. to achieve victory (as in a contest)

    "the kind of person who always has to win—even if the game is just for fun"

    similar: conquer, prevail, triumph, carry the day, kick butt
    related: overcome, sweep, squeak, squeeze, contend, vie, succeed, breeze, romp
    opposite: lose
    near: collapse, fail, flop, fold, wash out, flounder, struggle, decline, slip, slump, wane

  2. to receive as return for effort

    "win a gold medal in swimming"

    similar: acquire, attain, bag, bring in, capture, carry, come by, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, knock down, land, make, obtain, procure, pull down, realize, reap, secure
    related: clear, gross, net, accomplish, achieve, notch (up), score, accumulate, amass, rack up, catch, pick up, annex, occupy, take over, reacquire, reattain, recapture, regain, remake
    opposite: forfeit, lose
    near: accord, give, grant, pay, give up, hand over, part (with), relinquish, surrender, yield

  3. to obtain (as a goal) through effort

    "won a substantial victory in the struggle for civil rights for all"

    similar: achieve, attain, bag, chalk up, clock (up) (chiefly British), gain, hit, log, make, notch (up), rack up, ring up, score
    related: acquire, capture, carry, draw, garner, get, land, obtain, procure, realize, secure, amount (to), approach, equal, match, measure up (to), meet, rival, tie, touch, beat, excel, outdo, surpass, top
    near: fall short (of), miss, fail (at), lose

Related Entry: Win (against) (verb)

Win (against) is a different word from Winning. The synonyms below are for win (against), not for winning.

  1. to achieve a victory over

    "a child prodigy who has already won against a number of more experienced chess players"

    similar: beat, best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, take, trim, triumph (over), upend, worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

Related Entry: Win (over) (verb)

Win (over) is a different word from Winning. The synonyms below are for win (over), not for winning.

  1. to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest requests

    "a combination of solid reasoning and outright begging won my parents over, and I became an exchange student for a year"

    similar: argue, bring, bring around, convert, convince, gain, get, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into)
    related: blandish, blarney, cajole, coax, entreat, exhort, fast-talk, urge, wheedle, allure, beguile, lead on, lure, seduce, snow, tempt, brainwash, overpersuade, incline, influence, prompt, sell, sway, attract, draw, entice, interest, chew over, converse, debate, discuss, dispute, hash (over), moot, reason (with)
    near: deter, discourage, dissuade, unsell

Related Entry: Winning (back) (verb)

Winning (back) is a different word from Winning. The synonyms below are for winning (back), not for winning.

  1. as in redeeming, buying (back)

    similar: buying (back), redeeming
    opposite: hocking, pawning, pledging, depositing, mortgaging, bonding

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Winning

The most common words with a similar meaning to Winning:

Chiefly British: clocking (up)
adorable, darling, dear, disarming, endearing, lovable, lovesome, precious, sweet, winsome, ingratiating, insinuating, triumph, victory, win, conquest, dominating, domination, overpowering, subduing, subjecting, subjection, subjugating, subjugation, vanquishing, beating, defeat, drubbing, licking, shellacking, trimming, trouncing, whipping, enslavement, takeover, conquering, prevailing, triumphing, acquiring, attaining

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Winning

Words with the opposite meaning of Winning:

abhorrent, abominable, detestable, hateful, loathsome, odious, unlovable, unendearing, uningratiating, emancipation, enfranchisement, freeing, liberation, manumission, release, losing, forfeiting

Related Words for Winning

embraceable, kissable, beloved, cherished, favored, favorite, loved, treasured, attractive, beautiful, desirable, lovely, alluring, appealing, captivating, charming, enchanting, engaging, entrancing, fascinating, fetching, admirable, likable, reputable, respectable, affable, agreeable, cheerful, cordial, friendly

Near Antonyms of Winning

unloved, contemptible, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, heinous, horrible, lousy, nasty, offensive, unlikable, unpleasant, wretched, frightful, grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, monstrous, ogreish, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, ugly, unattractive, unsightly, vile, appalling, awful, dreadful, foul

Word Forms of Winning

Derived words: winningly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Winning

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Winning

winning combination, winning post, losing/winning record, winning/losing streak

Frequently Asked Questions about Winning

What does "Winning" mean?

"Winning" means the act of one that wins, victory. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: the act of one that wins, victory. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Winning"?

Other words for "Winning" include adorable, darling, dear, disarming, endearing, lovable, lovesome and precious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Winning" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Winning"?

There are 168 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Winning". Common alternatives include adorable, darling, dear, disarming, endearing, lovable, lovesome, precious, sweet and winsome.

What is the opposite of "Winning"?

Antonyms of "Winning" include abhorrent, abominable, detestable, hateful, loathsome, odious, unlovable and unendearing. Near antonyms include unloved, contemptible, disagreeable and disgusting.

How do you use "Winning" in a sentence?

Examples of "Winning" in a sentence: "a particularly pretty and winning child"; "flashed a winning smile that soon had us at her beck and call"; "the kind of person who always has to win—even if the game is just for fun".

Is "Winning" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Winning" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Winning"?

"Winning" is pronounced /ˈwi-niŋ/ and divided into syllables as win·ning.

What is the origin of the word "Winning"?

First known use: 14th century.