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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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

“No country may ever compete on price with China’s vertically integrated solar firms,” says Michael Davidson, associate professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at University of California San Diego.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

He denied that the company's plans would be too little, too late to compete with Chinese brands, which have been rapidly building market share in Europe.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Then foreign auto makers could better compete with China worldwide.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

“It is up to us to compete and figure it out,” Taverna said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

On Valentine’s Day 2011, I finally got the chance to compete using some of my new skills while at the Gliders National Elite Qualifier in Riverside, California.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

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