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

---

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)

---

Related Words

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

In the IPO filing, SpaceX touted other ideas for Starship, including a plan to compete with long-haul flights by using the rocket to transport passengers and cargo around the globe at rapid speeds.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

If no candidate wins a majority, those two compete in the Nov. 3 runoff.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

I’m often asked, “How can a company like Rigetti Computing compete with IBM and Google and survive?”

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

A higher unemployment rate means more people are out of work and looking for work, while a fall in the number of job vacancies means there are fewer jobs to compete for.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

This meant we could be formally recognized by the clubs, play in interclub pennant matches, and compete in regional and statewide competitions.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Related Words

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