winning
winning — adjective
1. describing a person, team, or thing that finishes first or achieves the best res
describing a person, team, or thing that finishes first or achieves the best result in a contest, game, election, or selection process.
The winning runner from Kenya crossed the finish line first at the Tokyo Marathon.
winning + runner (person noun)
Hui held up the winning lottery ticket and shouted with joy in her kitchen.
winning ticket (common collocation)
The winning team sprayed champagne over their coach in the locker room.
After the election speech, the winning candidate thanked every volunteer in the room.
winning candidate (election context)
- winning team
- winning ticket
- winning entry
- winning bid
- winning goal
- winning streak
- winning candidate
- successful
broader term that includes winning but also covers achieving goals generally; less tied to direct competition
- first-place
more specific — only used for ranking positions in races or contests
- champion
used as an attributive noun ('champion team') to emphasize the title won, not just the outcome
- losing
direct opposite — describes a person or team that did not win
Grammar Patterns
winning + noun (team, entry, ticket, bid)
Usage Note
Attributive only — used directly before a noun. Cannot be used after linking verbs like 'is' ("The team is winning" uses the verb form of win, not this adjective).
Common Mistakes
2. used about a person's expression, manner, or character that is so friendly and a
used about a person's expression, manner, or character that is so friendly and attractive that others feel drawn to them immediately.
Quinn greeted every guest with a winning smile that made them feel welcome.
winning smile (common collocation)
Lauren's winning personality helped her get the job at the children's hospital.
winning personality (character trait)
The young artist's winning charm convinced the gallery owner to show her work.
Imran has a winning way of telling jokes that makes everyone in the room relax.
winning way of + gerund (structure pattern)
- winning smile
- winning personality
- winning charm
- winning ways
- winning manner
- off-putting
describes behaviour that makes others feel uncomfortable or distant
Grammar Patterns
winning + noun (smile, personality, charm, ways)
Usage Note
Attributive only in this sense. Most common with nouns related to face, expression, or behaviour (smile, personality, charm, manner, ways).
Common Mistakes
winning ways
idiomA pattern of repeated successes or victories.
The team hopes to continue its winning ways next season.
After three losses, can the company return to its winning ways?
winning — noun
1. the situation or fact of being the best or most successful in a competition, gam
the situation or fact of being the best or most successful in a competition, game, war, or contest.
The crowd cheered wildly when the referee confirmed their team's victory over France.
victory over + opponent (pattern)
Winning at a major tournament requires months of hard training and careful planning.
gerund 'winning' as subject (common pattern)
For professional athletes, the feeling of winning never gets old.
the feeling of winning (fixed phrase)
Tamás devoted his whole career to the pursuit of winning in Olympic swimming.
the pursuit of winning (formal collocation)
- feeling of winning
- pursuit of winning
- taste of winning
- winning over
- path to winning
- defeat
the opposite outcome in a competition or contest
Grammar Patterns
the winning of + noun
the thrill / feeling / pursuit of winning
Usage Note
Used both as uncountable ('Winning is everything') and countable with a determiner ('a victory over France'). This sense overlaps with 'victory' but is less formal and slightly more direct.
Common Mistakes
2. an object or item that someone receives as a result of being the best in a compe
an object or item that someone receives as a result of being the best in a competition, game, or contest.
Rachid carefully polished his prize from the chess tournament — a silver cup.
his prize from [source] (possessive + from pattern)
Lien's prize from the art competition was a weekend trip to Paris.
The young scientist displayed her prize from the fair on a shelf at home.
Darius kept his prize — a gold medal — in a small velvet box by his bed.
singular 'prize' referring to one item won
- his winning
- her winning
- winning from
Grammar Patterns
possessive pronoun + winning
winning from + competition/source
Usage Note
In modern English, 'prize' is the standard word for an item won in a competition. The noun 'winning' in this singular sense (meaning prize) is very rare and dated; use 'prize' or 'trophy' instead. The plural 'winnings' (sense 4 below) has a different meaning and refers specifically to money.
Common Mistakes
3. a region, city, or area that has been taken by force during a war and is now con
a region, city, or area that has been taken by force during a war and is now controlled by the victor.
Carthage became a Roman winning after the Punic Wars ended in 146 BC.
became a [empire] winning (historical use)
Each new winning was added to the empire's growing collection of provinces.
The general surveyed his winning, a vast territory rich with resources.
The region remained a Persian winning for more than two centuries of rule.
historical/military: winning in empire context
- Roman winning
- Persian winning
- new winning
- became a winning
- conquest
the standard modern word; 'winning' in this sense is rare and historical
- territory
broader — any area under control, not necessarily taken by force
- possession
more general; can refer to any colony or owned region
- loss
a territory that was surrendered or taken away
Grammar Patterns
possessive + winning
became + a + winning
Usage Note
This is a dated or specialized sense found mainly in historical texts about warfare and empire. In modern English, 'conquest' or 'territory' is far more common.
Common Mistakes
4. an amount of money that someone receives for doing well in a competition, race,
an amount of money that someone receives for doing well in a competition, race, game of chance, or contest.
Karim used his poker winnings to pay off his mother's medical bills.
The tennis champion's winnings from the tournament totaled over two million dollars.
winnings from [event] + totaled [amount] (pattern)
Faisal put his lottery winnings into a savings fund for his daughter's education.
lottery winnings (common collocation)
The team shared their competition winnings equally among all twelve members.
- poker winnings
- lottery winnings
- tournament winnings
- competition winnings
- gambling winnings
- total winnings
- prize money
the formal term for money offered in a competition; 'winnings' emphasizes the player's success
- earnings
broader — includes income from work, not just competition prizes
- payout
more specific to gambling games, lotteries, and betting
Grammar Patterns
possessive + winnings
winnings from + source
collective winnings
Usage Note
Almost always used in the plural form 'winnings' when referring to money. Treated as grammatically plural ("His winnings were donated to charity"). For a single cash prize, use 'prize money' or 'winnings' in the plural even for one amount.