vik-TAW-ree-uhs
/vɪˈktɔɹiəs/
victorious is pronounced vik-TAW-ree-uhs (/vɪˈktɔɹiəs/). Victorious means having achieved a victory or success, especially after effort or a struggle. It conveys a sense of triumph and accomplishment, often in a competitive or challenging context. The term emphasizes the outcome of overcoming obstacles and attaining a favorable result that brings pride or celebration.
Victorious means having achieved a victory or success, especially after effort or a struggle. It conveys a sense of triumph and accomplishment, often in a competitive or challenging context. The term emphasizes the outcome of overcoming obstacles and attaining a favorable result that brings pride or celebration.
- You might put too much emphasis on the second syllable or tuck the /r/ too early, making it sound like vic-TO-rious instead of VIC-tor-ious. - You may flatten the long /ɔː/ into a short /ɔ/; keep it as a long vowel to preserve the rhythm. - Final -ous can be reduced in casual speech to a quick /əs/; train to retain the /ɹi.əs/ sequence for clarity.
"After months of training, she stood on the podium, victorious."
"The team felt victorious despite the tough match, having earned a hard-fought win."
"Both sides claimed victory, but the city celebrated the victorious players."
Pronounce as /ˈvɪk.tɔːr.i.əs/ in US, UK, and AU. Start with a stressed first syllable /ˈvɪk/ with a short i as in bit. The second syllable is /tɔː/ with a long ɔː like caught. The third syllable is /rɪ/ in some accents, but syllabic tremor may reduce to /ˈtɔːr.ɪ/; finally /əs/ as a schwa + s. Emphasize the first syllable and keep the o as a long vowel. Listen for the slight American rhotic r between /tɔː/ and /i/. Audio reference: use Pronounce or Forvo entry for precise speaker variants.
Two common errors: (1) misplacing the stress by making the second syllable prominent, e.g., vi-CTOR-i-ous. (2) shortening or mispronouncing the middle vowel so /tɔː/ becomes /tɔ/ or /toʊ/ and the trailing /r/ becomes silent in non-rhotic accents. Correct by preserving the long /ɔː/ sound in the second syllable and keeping the /r/ before the final /ɪ.əs/ sequence in rhotic accents. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘victor’ vs ‘victorious’ and include the -ous ending as /-əs/ rather than /-əs/ or /-us/ in some dialects.
US: /ˈvɪk.tɔːr.i.əs/ with rhotic /r/ and a clear /ɔːr/ sequence before /iəs/. UK: /ˈvɪk.tɔː.ri.əs/ often with a non-rhotic /r/ after vowels and a slightly shorter /ɔː/ vowel; secondary syllable rhotics vary with speaker. AU: /ˈvɪk.tɔː.ɹi.əs/ tends to be rhotic but may elide some sounds in rapid speech; vowels may be more open and centralized depending on regional subdialect. In all, primary stress stays on the first syllable, but rhoticity and vowel quality shift subtly. IPA references: US /ˈvɪk.tɔːr.i.əs/, UK /ˈvɪk.tɔː.ɹi.əs/, AU /ˈvɪk.tɔː.ɹi.əs/ or /ˈvɪk.tɔː.ɹɪ.əs/ depending on speaker.
Because it combines a stressed closed syllable with a long mid back vowel in the second syllable /tɔː/ followed by /r/ before a vowel cluster /iəs/. This creates a sequence with a long vowel, a voiced postalveolar approximant /ɹ/ in rhotic accents, and the unstressed final /əs/. The risk of vowel length misperception and an overemphasized /r/ can distort the flow. Practicing slow, then speed with proper breakdown helps stabilize the rhythm: VIC-tor-ious with emphasis on VIC and a smooth glide into -rious.
A unique feature is the cluster transition from /tɔː/ to /r/ before the /iəs/ ending, which challenges speakers to maintain a clean, non-splitting onset for the final /iəs/. The /ɔː/ vowel in the stressed second syllable often carries a longer duration than the first vowel, forming a distinct length contrast within the word. Focus on the exact /t/ release and the immediate /r/ onset without an intervening vowel in rapid speech.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; keep the /r/ clearly before the /iəs/. The /ɔː/ vowel is often tense and longer. - UK: non-rhotic or lightly rhotic; you may drop the /r/ and rely on a longer /ɔː/ and a lighter /ɪə/ or /iə/ segment before final /əs/. - AU: generally rhotic but with a lighter /r/ coloration; maintain a clear sonority on /tɔː/ and a smooth transition to /ɹiəs/ or /riəs/. IPA notes: US /ˈvɪk.tɔːr.i.əs/, UK /ˈvɪk.tɔː.ri.əs/, AU /ˈvɪk.tɔː.ɹi.əs/; ensure rhoticity aligns with the target variety.
Victorious comes from the Latin victōrius, meaning “conquering, winning.” The root vict- derives from vincere, meaning “to conquer, to win.” In Latin, victōrius described something related to victory or a victor. The word traveled into English via Old French victorieus, then Middle French victorieux, maintaining the sense of being related to victory. By the early modern period, victorious was common in English prose and poetry to describe someone who has achieved triumph or success in a conflict, competition, or endeavor. The gendered and nuanced sense of “having won” solidified in Shakespearean and later English, with the suffix -ous marking the adjective form. First known uses in English date back to the 15th-16th centuries, aligning with the broader adoption of Latin-derived adjectives in scholarly and literary contexts. Over time, victorious has retained a formal, somewhat ceremonial tone, frequently appearing in sports, military, and rhetorical contexts to underline triumph and rightful achievement. In contemporary usage, it can describe personal, team, or collective success and often appears in phrases like “victorious in battle” or “victorious after a long struggle.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "victorious" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "victorious" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "victorious"
-ous sounds
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