Pyrrhic victory
WordNet
noun
(1) A victory that is won by incurring terrible losses
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Eponymous of the Greek king Pyrrhus of Epirus, who suffered heavy losses while defeating the Romans.
Noun
- A very costly victory, wherein the considerable losses outweigh the gain, so as to render the struggle not worth the cost.
- "Tough pensions regulation designed to protect employees in final-salary occupational schemes will prove a pyrrhic victory for unions and the government, a report warned yesterday." —The Guardian, October 6, 2005