compete
Americanverb (used without object)
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competes,
present (3rd person singular)
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competed,
past participle, past
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competing
present participle
idioms
verb
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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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competesimple
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competessimple
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have competedperfect
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has competedperfect
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am competingprogressive
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are competingprogressive
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is competingprogressive
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have been competingperfect progressive
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has been competingperfect progressive
Past
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competedsimple
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had competedperfect
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was competingprogressive
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were competingprogressive
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had been competingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing compete
"Play Ball!"
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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:
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to compete against the Dodgers, because they obviously have proven to be a dominant baseball organization,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
"Real Zaragoza belong to Europe, they belong to compete for trophies, to be fighting with the biggest clubs in Spain and in Europe," said Herrera.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The move followed news that Elon Musk’s SpaceX was buying spectrum licenses to help build a mobile network and compete with the telecom giants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
They failed to qualify in 2023 but have performed well this year, including drawing with Belgium, showing that they can compete with Europe's strongest teams.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Before we walked out to compete, we always used the bathroom just in case.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Like "being shot out of a cannon" is the closest comparison that driver Susanne Callin can come up with for the extreme motorsport she competes in.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The Wegovy maker is betting that a shorter name will help it resonate more with consumers as it competes with rival Eli Lilly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
And its Los Angeles location should prove particularly convenient as Frech swaps the track for the ballroom and competes for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy along side his pro partner, Daniella Karagach.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Streatfeild’s spring activity is track and field, where she competes in the 100-meter dash, long jump and both relays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Justice encouraged Will to join the Boy Scouts, and when he was invited to join his school’s Academic Team, which competes in quiz bowls, she insisted that he try it.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
European regulars in the 1990s and early 2000s, it is now almost 15 years since they competed in the Bundesliga, spending four seasons in the third tier before a promotion in 2022.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
International Math Olympiad team; Hoke competed in the world championships of competitive programming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
For South Korea, another gaming heavyweight, Park So-yeon became the first woman to represent their national team when she competed in Nagoya.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
He said he competed on the same playing field as other L.A. golfers and did not use bots to game the system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Every year, I competed in the draughts competition, and some years, I won the grand prize, which was usually a candy bar.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
AST SpaceMobile could become a valuable ally for wireless carriers competing with SpaceX’s satellite-to-phone service, analysts say.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
In the rock band, I’m competing — everybody wants to be heard — whereas this one, there’s this beautiful thing where the guys don’t mind being in the background.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
However, they made up 20% of the drivers competing in this year's US and European Top Fuel seasons.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Early adopters of zero-emission technologies say they can’t command the rates they need to cover the higher costs of battery-electric or hydrogen fuel-cell trucks because they are competing with lower-cost diesel rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
I was struck over and over by similarities between their times and ours, including: countrywide divisions, political name-calling, competing media outlets, new technologies, conspiracy theories, an addiction crisis, a pandemic, and the emphasis on fame.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
