compete

American  

[kuhm-peet] / kəmˈpit /

verb (used without object)

competes, present (3rd person singular) competed, past participle, past competing present participle

1. to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.; engage in a contest; vie: to compete in business.

   to compete in a race;

   to compete in business.

   Synonyms:

   struggle

---

idioms

1. cannot/can't compete with, to not be, by a great degree, as good or capable as (someone or something else).

   These roses are lovely, but they can’t compete with the ones we grew back home in Ecuador.

compete British  

/ kəmˈpiːt /

verb

1. to contend (against) for profit, an award, athletic supremacy, etc; engage in a contest (with)

---

Synonym Usage

Compete, contend, contest mean to strive to outdo or excel. Compete implies having a sense of rivalry and of striving to do one's best as well as to outdo another: to compete for a prize. Contend suggests opposition or disputing as well as rivalry: to contend with an opponent, against obstacles. Contest suggests struggling to gain or hold something, as well as contending or disputing: to contest a position or ground ( in battle ); to contest a decision.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• competer
  noun
• noncompeting
  adjective
• competingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• competing
  present
• competed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• compete
  simple
• competes
  simple
• have competed
  perfect
• has competed
  perfect
• am competing
  progressive
• are competing
  progressive
• is competing
  progressive
• have been competing
  perfect progressive
• has been competing
  perfect progressive

Past

• competed
  simple
• had competed
  perfect
• was competing
  progressive
• were competing
  progressive
• had been competing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will compete
  simple
• will have competed
  perfect
• will be competing
  progressive
• will have been competing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of compete

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin competere “to meet, coincide, be fitting, suffice” ( Late Latin: “to seek, ask for”), equivalent to com- “with, together” + petere “to seek”; see com-. The Late Latin and English senses were influenced by competitor

Explanation

In sports you compete against the opposing team. At work you compete for a promotion. With siblings, you compete for everything. Compete means to vie for a goal. The urge to compete is universal and human, from kids who say "Race ya!," to great athletes who manage to achieve the impossible when faced with a worthy opponent. Some people are more inclined to compete than others. They are viewed as competitive and may be accused of turning everything into a competition.

Related Words

• battle
• challenge
• clash
• contend
• contest
• face
• fight
• play
• spar
• try
• vie
• wrestle