contest
Americannoun
-
contests
plural
-
a race, conflict, or other competition between rivals, as for a prize.
- Synonyms:
- game, tourney, tournament, match, rivalry, contention
-
struggle for victory or superiority.
-
vigorous or bitter conflict in argument; dispute; controversy.
Their marriage was marred by perpetual contest.
- Synonyms:
- opposition, disagreement, difference, clash, altercation, antagonism, discord, strife
verb (used with object)
-
contests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contested,
past participle, past
-
contesting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
contests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contested,
past participle, past
-
contesting
present participle
noun
-
a formal game or match in which two or more people, teams, etc, compete and attempt to win
-
a struggle for victory between opposing forces or interests
verb
-
(tr) to try to disprove; call in question
-
to fight, dispute, or contend (with)
contest an election
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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contestablenessnoun
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contestationnoun
-
contesternoun
-
precontestnoun
-
subcontestnoun
-
supercontestnoun
-
recontestverb
-
precontestverb (used with object)
-
supercontestverb (used with object)
-
contestableadjective
-
uncontestableadjective
-
contestablyadverb
-
contestinglyadverb
-
uncontestablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
contestsimple
-
contestssimple
-
have contestedperfect
-
has contestedperfect
-
am contestingprogressive
-
are contestingprogressive
-
is contestingprogressive
-
have been contestingperfect progressive
-
has been contestingperfect progressive
Past
-
contestedsimple
-
had contestedperfect
-
was contestingprogressive
-
were contestingprogressive
-
had been contestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contest
First recorded in 1595–1605; (verb) from Latin contestāri “to call to witness (in a lawsuit),” equivalent to con- con- + testārī “to testify, ” derivative of testis witness; the noun is derivative of the verb, or is from French conteste
Explanation
A contest is a struggle to determine who's tops –- you might wrestle an alligator in a contest of brute strength versus strategy. You can also enter a contest — a yodeling contest or a cake-decorating contest, depending on your talents. If you're being sued and you respond to the court order saying "no contest," you're saying you're not going to put up a fight. When you put the accent on the second syllable, contest becomes a verb, and it means to dispute something. You lost the election for class president, but you think there was something fishy going on at the ballot box, so you contest the results and ask for a recount.
Vocabulary lists containing contest
Beowulf vocabulary
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Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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Orbiting Jupiter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It appears that Tarik El Guindy is a judge and media personality for worldwide bodybuilding competitions, including the Mr. Olympia contest, though he uses the slightly differently spelled first name Terrick in that space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The NPO, which oversees public broadcasting in the country, has now stepped in, saying coverage of the contest will be provided by broadcasting organisation NOS, while an independent panel will select the Dutch participant.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all pulled out of the 2026 contest in addition to the Netherlands.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
When the contest is between offensive and defensive AI, the defense needs to be ready.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
But it faded as she remembered the mud on her bike and his taunts about the contest.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Three costume contests, judged by Waters and his guests, are full-on productions with stage blood and plenty of references to the director’s films.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Céline Dion tribute boat cruises on Seine - complete with costume contests, sing-alongs, DJ sets, are happening throughout September.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Netflix also has Christmas games, while more international contests are played Sunday mornings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Both were ruled a suicide, though the mother of one of the deceased - Trey Reed - contests those findings.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Ben had awakened that morning, while it was still dark, with the butterflies, the old, invisible protozoa of fear that invaded the stomach on the days of contests or of testing.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
But surely those efforts can be contested in court?
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
He was mostly there to attend the final two rounds of the Irish Open golf tournament, being contested at a resort he owns in County Clare.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
More than two million voters are eligible to vote for 80 parliament seats being contested by 13 parties.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
A closely contested first set offered a hint of the momentum swings that would define the match.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Likewise, the celebrated rationality of the fifth century represents a retrospective bleaching of what was actually a complex and contested story.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
The couple is contesting the IRS’s claims in tax court, arguing their financial moves align with standard industry practices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
She’s contesting the emerging narrative—and maybe her apparent ouster, too.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
Earlier this year, the firm signed a 12-month agreement worth $1.2 million with Atiku Abubakar, who is contesting the Nigerian presidency.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
“Waymo reviews all received citations and may engage with the court to address and resolve them, including contesting cases on their merit if we believe they were issued erroneously,” a company spokesman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
We began a long and detailed argument contesting the indictment itself.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
