victorious

victorious — adjective

1. describes a person, team, or group that has come first or defeated an opponent i

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person, team, or group that has come first or defeated an opponent in a contest, sport, election, or battle.

Example

The victorious team lifted the gold cup above their heads while the crowd roared.

attributive use before 'team'

After a close election, the victorious candidate thanked every volunteer by name.

victorious + candidate (election context)

Common collocations
  • victorious team
  • victorious army
  • victorious candidate
  • emerge victorious
  • victorious in battle
  • victorious over an opponent
Synonyms
  • triumphant

    Emphasises the celebratory display or emotion after winning; more dramatic than victorious.

  • winning

    More general and less formal; can describe a streak, a ticket, or a performance rather than an achieved victory.

  • successful

    Much broader — refers to achieving any desired outcome, not necessarily by defeating an opponent.

  • conquering

    Stronger, often used for military or romantic contexts; implies total subjugation.

Antonyms
  • defeated

    The direct opposite — having lost to an opponent.

  • unsuccessful

    Broader antonym; not limited to competitive defeat.

Grammar Patterns

victorious + noun

be victorious

Usage Note

Often appears before nouns such as 'team', 'army', or 'candidate' (attributive), or after linking verbs like 'emerge' or 'feel' (predicative). The collocation 'emerge victorious' is especially common in news and formal writing.

Common Mistakes

He was victory in the game.
He was victorious in the game.
'victory' is a noun; 'victorious' is the adjective form.
The victorious team of the match celebrated.
The team victorious in the match celebrated.' or 'The victorious team celebrated.
after a noun, use 'victorious in + event' rather than 'of'.

2. feeling deeply satisfied and proud because you have achieved something important

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

feeling deeply satisfied and proud because you have achieved something important or overcome a personal difficulty, whether or not there was a formal contest.

Example

After finishing her first marathon, Élise felt truly victorious.

predicative: feel victorious (personal achievement)

Walid described the victorious feeling of completing his novel after three years of hard work.

attributive: victorious + feeling

Common collocations
  • feel victorious
  • victorious feeling
  • victorious moment
  • truly victorious
Synonyms
  • triumphant

    More outwardly celebratory; often implies showing off success rather than quiet fulfillment.

  • fulfilled

    Focuses on satisfaction and completeness rather than the excitement of triumph.

  • elated

    Emphasises extreme happiness; less about overcoming difficulty and more about joy itself.

Antonyms
  • defeated

    In a broader sense — feeling crushed by failure or inability to overcome a challenge.

  • discouraged

    The emotional opposite of feeling triumphant; lacking hope or confidence.

Grammar Patterns

feel victorious

victorious feeling

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not imply an actual contest or opponent. It describes an emotional state of fulfillment. Commonly used in self-improvement, recovery, and creative-achievement contexts. Frequently appears after 'feel'.

Common Mistakes

I feel victorious about my exam grade' (when the grade was average).
I felt victorious when I passed the exam I had failed before.
use this sense only for achievements that felt genuinely hard-earned, not for ordinary success.
We are victorious and we didn't even compete.' (confusing sense 1 and 2).
We feel victorious even though we didn't win any prize
we did our best.' — use 'feel victorious' for sense 2 to make the emotional meaning clear.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Victorious' is the most direct adjective for someone who has won a contest or conflict — it points to the fact of winning itself. 'Triumphant' adds a layer of public celebration or dramatic emotion: a victorious army may be tired, but a triumphant one is marching through cheering crowds with flags waving. 'Successful' is far broader: a business can be successful without defeating anyone, whereas 'victorious' always implies an opponent or an obstacle overcome. 'Winning' is the most versatile and informal — a 'winning team', a 'winning smile', or a 'winning ticket' — and does not necessarily describe a completed victory (a 'winning streak' is ongoing). Choose 'victorious' when you need formal, accomplished, competitive success: 'the victorious candidate', 'the victorious side in the war'. Choose 'triumphant' when the emotional display matters: 'a triumphant return home'. Use 'successful' for any achieved goal, and 'winning' in casual or attributive contexts.

victorious ↗triumphantsuccessful ↗winning ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • emerge victorious
  • come out victorious
  • prove victorious

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'victōria' (victory), via Old French 'victorieus'. The core idea — winning or overcoming — has stayed remarkably stable since the 15th century, though the emotional sense (feeling victorious without an actual contest) is a more recent development.