Pyrrhic victory

A Pyrrhic victory (/ˈpɪrɪk/ ^ⓘ PIRR-ik) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat.^[1] Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress.

The phrase originates from a quote from Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose triumph against the Romans in the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC destroyed much of his forces, forcing the end of his campaign.