winner
gb/wˈɪnɚ/ us/wˈɪnɚ/
A2
English
~ 1900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Person or thing that wins
A person or thing that comes first in a game or contest.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is the winner of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'winner' with 'winning' when describing a person (e.g., saying 'He is a winning' instead of 'He is a winner').
Synonyms
champion (Often implies the top performer in a sports or competitive context, sometimes with more prestige.)
Antonyms
loser (Refers to the person or thing that did not win; can be neutral or insulting depending on tone.)
Collocations
the overall winner
|a clear winner
|the race winner
|award winner
|prize winner
Themes
sports
|competition
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She was the clear winner of the singing competition.
- The winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000.
- After a tense final round, the chess tournament finally had a winner.
- They announced the winner of the award at the ceremony.
- The winner crossed the finish line just two seconds ahead.
Learner examples
- She is the winner of the game.
- The winner gets a big prize.
- Who is the winner today?
- The winner runs very fast.
- He is the winner of the race.
Noun
informal
B1
entity
2
Something very successful
An idea or thing that works very well or makes people happy.
Usage pattern:
[something] is a winner
Common mistake:
Learners may take this sense literally and think it refers to a person instead of an object or idea; context makes it clear it's figurative.
Synonyms
hit (Informal; often used for entertainment, products, or events that are very popular.)
Antonyms
flop (Informal; refers to something that fails badly.)
Collocations
recipe is a winner
|design is a real winner
|this one's a winner
Themes
daily life
|business
|entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This new marketing strategy is definitely a winner.
- Her latest novel is a real winner with young readers.
- That recipe was a winner at the dinner party.
- The app's design is a clear winner among users.
- His suggestion turned out to be a winner for the team.
Learner examples
- This cake recipe is a winner.
- Your idea is a winner.
- That movie was a real winner.
- This phone design is a winner.
- Her song is a winner.
Grammar
Dictionary form
winner
IPA
GB/wˈɪnɚ/
US/wˈɪnɚ/
Syllables & stress
win - ner (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (win)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: winner
- Plural: winners
Word family
Expressions
a winning streak
1/ə wˈɪnɪŋ stɹˈik/
fixed phrase
Series of consecutive wins
A time when someone keeps winning again and again.
Examples
- The team is on a winning streak this season.
- He hopes to continue his winning streak in the next tournament.
to emerge as the winner
1/tə ɪmˈɚd͡ʒ ˈæz ðə wˈɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
Become the one who wins
To be the person or thing that wins after some event or competition.
Examples
- She emerged as the winner after three hours of debate.
- Against all odds, he emerged as the winner of the election.
winner takes all
1/wˈɪnɚ tˈeɪks ˈɔl/
idiom
Only first place gets reward
In this situation, only the person who comes first gets anything, and others get nothing.
Examples
- In many sports finals, it's a winner takes all match.
- Politics can sometimes be a winner takes all game.