verb
Very common
won
won
Won (verb) means past tense and past participle of win. Example: “She won the race by a full second.”
verb
1
Past tense and past participle of win.
"She won the race by a full second."
"Our team won the quiz on Friday night."
"They won because everyone worked together until the very last minute."
noun
1
The currency of North Korea and South Korea.
"He exchanged his dollars for won at the airport."
"The tourists paid for the taxi with won they had changed earlier."
"One won is a tiny amount, so the notes show large numbers."
How to use won
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the past tense of "win", or the name of the Korean currency.
Common mistake
"Won" and "one" are pronounced identically in English, which can trip up learners in speech.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- wons
- Past tense
- wonned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She _____ the race by a full second.
Etymology
The past participle of win, from Old English winnan.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for won
See all rhymes for won →Frequently asked questions
What does “won” mean?
The word “won” means past tense and past participle of win. In plain terms, either the past tense of "win", or the name of the Korean currency.
How do you pronounce “won”?
“Won” is pronounced won (/wɒn/ in IPA).
How do you use “won” in a sentence?
Here is “won” used in a sentence: “She won the race by a full second.”
What part of speech is “won”?
Depending on how it is used, “won” can be a verb and a noun.
Is “won” a common word?
“Won” is a very common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “won” have?
“Won” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: past tense and past participle of win.
What is the difference between "won" and "one"?
"Won" is the past tense of the verb "win" — you won a race or won a prize. "One" is the number 1 or a single thing. They sound exactly alike, which makes them easy to confuse, but one is a verb and the other is a number.
How do you use "won" in a sentence?
"Won" describes a victory or gain that already happened: "Our team won the match," or "She won first place." It works as both the simple past and the past participle of "win," so you can also say "They have won three times this year."
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