compete

American  

[kuhm-peet] / kəmˈpit /

verb (used without object)

competed, competing

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

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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)

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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

• competer
  noun
• competingly
  adverb
• noncompeting
  adjective
• outcompete
  verb (used with object)

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.

Example Sentences

What inspired you to continue to work at softball so that you can compete at UCLA?

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

More importantly, they also feel promises made around the move about West Ham's ability to compete at the top end of the Premier League and consistently in Europe have not been met.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

“It’s hard to compete when you run into the buzz saw of Google, Amazon and Meta,” said Eric Schmitt, a vice president analyst at research and advisory firm Gartner.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Starbucks has struggled to compete in this environment, particularly outside wealthier cities.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

But once Celibidache and the rest of the committee saw her in the flesh, all those long-held prejudices began to compete with the winning first impression they had of her performance.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

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