Irregular verbs Regular verbs
win, wins, winning, won
Synonyms: triumph, prevail, succeed, conquer, achieve
Antonyms: lose, fail, forfeit, surrender, be defeated
The Verb Win – Definition, Usage, and Clarification The verb win is a very common irregular verb. Its core meaning is to be victorious or successful in a competition, conflict, or by chance. VERB FORMS ■ Base Form: win ■ Past Simple: won ■ Past Participle: won ■ Present Participle/Gerund: winning USAGE AND CONTEXT 'Win' is used for victory in games, contests, and for acquiring things through success. 1. Being Victorious This refers to finishing first or defeating an opponent. ■ Competition: 'Which team won the game?' ■ Conflict: 'They fought hard to win the battle.' 2. Gaining Something as a Prize This refers to acquiring something through a contest or lottery. ■ Prize: 'She won a new car in the competition!' 3. Gaining Support or Favor (Figurative) This refers to earning something abstract like trust or approval. ■ Support: 'His powerful speech won him many new supporters.' ℹ IMPORTANT: 'WIN' VS. 'BEAT' This is a very common point of confusion for learners. ■ Win: You win a thing (the game, the prize, the medal, the lottery). ■ Example: 'Our team won the championship.' ■ Beat: You beat a person or an opponent (the other team, a person). ■ Example: 'Our team beat the other team.' ■ Incorrect: 'Our team won the other team.'
| WIN - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | win |
| ★ you | win |
| ★ he/she/it | wins |
| ★ we | win |
| ★ you (plural) | win |
| ★ they | win |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I rarely win when I play chess against you. |
| - You win the argument every time. |
| - He wins the race with his incredible speed. | Our team always wins at home. |
| - We win the contract with a strong proposal. |
| - You (plural) win the respect of your colleagues. |
| - They win the lottery more often than seems possible. |
| WIN - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | winning |
| ★ you are | winning |
| ★ he/she/it is | winning |
| ★ we are | winning |
| ★ you are | winning |
| ★ they are | winning |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am winning the game for the first time! |
| - You are winning the hearts and minds of the people. |
| - He is winning the election according to the polls. | Our strategy is winning us new customers. |
| - We are winning the battle against the disease. |
| - You (plural) are winning the tug-of-war. |
| - They are winning the match by a large margin. |
| WIN - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | won |
| ★ you have | won |
| ★ he/she/it has | won |
| ★ we have | won |
| ★ you have | won |
| ★ they have | won |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have won the grand prize! |
| - You have won my admiration. |
| - He has won every award in his field. | She has won the gold medal. |
| - We have won the war, but the peace is not yet secure. |
| - You (plural) have won the championship. |
| - They have won the right to appeal the decision. |
| WIN - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | winning |
| ★ you have been | winning |
| ★ he/she/it has been | winning |
| ★ we have been | winning |
| ★ you have been | winning |
| ★ they have been | winning |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I have been winning all my matches today. |
| - You have been winning his trust little by little. |
| - He has been winning poker games all night. | The team has been winning since the new coach arrived. |
| - We have been winning the fight against deforestation. |
| - You (plural) have been winning the debate. |
| - They have been winning new clients with their excellent service. |
| WIN - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | won |
| ★ you | won |
| ★ he/she/it | won |
| ★ we | won |
| ★ you (plural) | won |
| ★ they | won |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I won twenty euros on a scratch card. |
| - You won the race by a fraction of a second. |
| - He won her heart with his kindness. | She won the Nobel Prize for her research. |
| - We won the game in the final minute. |
| - You (plural) won the competition last year. |
| - They won the lottery and bought a new house. |
| WIN - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | winning |
| ★ you were | winning |
| ★ he/she/it was | winning |
| ★ we were | winning |
| ★ you were | winning |
| ★ they were | winning |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was winning the chess game until I made a stupid mistake. |
| - You were winning the argument. |
| - He was winning the race when he tripped and fell. | Our team was winning at halftime. |
| - We were winning the support of the public. |
| - You (plural) were winning the match. |
| - They were winning the hearts of the audience with their performance. |
| WIN - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | won |
| ★ you had | won |
| ★ he/she/it had | won |
| ★ we had | won |
| ★ you had | won |
| ★ they had | won |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I had won the preliminary rounds, so I was confident for the final. |
| - You had won the contract before the other company could make an offer. |
| - He had won many medals before he retired from the sport. | She had won his trust. |
| - We had won the battle, but we had not yet won the war. |
| - You (plural) had won the previous championship. |
| - They had won the case in a lower court. |
| WIN - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | winning |
| ★ you had been | winning |
| ★ he/she/it had been | winning |
| ★ we had been | winning |
| ★ you had been | winning |
| ★ they had been | winning |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I had been winning for the entire game before the last round. |
| - You had been winning the negotiation. |
| - He had been winning races his whole career. | The party had been winning elections for a decade. |
| - We had been winning the fight. |
| - You (plural) had been winning the match. |
| - They had been winning the loyalty of their customers. |
| WIN - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | win |
| ★ you will | win |
| ★ he/she/it will | win |
| ★ we will | win |
| ★ you will | win |
| ★ they will | win |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I will win this game, I am determined. |
| - You will win the scholarship if you keep working hard. |
| - He will win the election if the polls are correct. | Our team will win the match. |
| - We will win their approval with our hard work. |
| - You (plural) will win the prize. |
| - They will win the war. |
| WIN - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | winning |
| ★ you will be | winning |
| ★ he/she/it will be | winning |
| ★ we will be | winning |
| ★ you will be | winning |
| ★ they will be | winning |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be winning this competition next year. |
| - You will be winning the support of your colleagues. |
| - He will be winning the race. | The company will be winning new contracts. |
| - We will be winning the game. |
| - You (plural) will be winning the tournament. |
| - They will be winning the hearts of their fans. |
| WIN - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | won |
| ★ you will have | won |
| ★ he/she/it will have | won |
| ★ we will have | won |
| ★ you will have | won |
| ★ they will have | won |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I will have won the lottery by this time next year, I hope. |
| - You will have won the argument by then. |
| - He will have won the championship three times in a row. | She will have won the election. |
| - We will have won the contract. |
| - You (plural) will have won the game. |
| - They will have won the war. |
| WIN - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | winning |
| ★ you will have been | winning |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | winning |
| ★ we will have been | winning |
| ★ you will have been | winning |
| ★ they will have been | winning |
| Examples of the verb 'win' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By the end of his career, he will have been winning titles for twenty years. |
| - You will have been winning the debate. |
| - The team will have been winning games all season. | The company will have been winning awards. |
| - We will have been winning the competition. |
| - You (plural) will have been winning the matches. |
| - They will have been winning the hearts of the nation. |