consolation prize

noun

: a prize given to a runner-up or a loser in a contest

Examples of consolation prize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If a gap opens in the cloud for a short time and the corona appears, that is not a consolation prize. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026 For too long, many treated a career in the trades as a consolation prize — what young people did if college wasn’t in the cards. — Brendan Bechtel, Fortune, 25 July 2026 Jones wanted that final, but settled for the consolation prize of the most games, including sharing the semifinals with the home of the Atlanta Falcons, where Argentina and England play Wednesday. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 And likely won’t until after the Seahawks deal is finalized, if any of those interested parties are looking at the Sonics as a reasonable consolation prize. — John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for consolation prize

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of consolation prize was in 1886

Rhymes for consolation prize

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Browse Nearby Words

consolation
consolation prize
consolator
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Cite this Entry

“Consolation prize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consolation%20prize. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on consolation prize

Nglish: Translation of consolation prize for Spanish Speakers

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