contest

[ noun kon-test; verb kuhn-test ]

See synonyms for: contest contested contesting contests on Thesaurus.com

noun

a race, conflict, or other competition between rivals, as for a prize.
struggle for victory or superiority.

vigorous or bitter conflict in argument; dispute; controversy: Their marriage was marred by perpetual contest.

verb (used with object)

to struggle or fight for, as in battle.
to argue against; dispute: to contest a controversial question;to contest a will.

to call in question: They contested his right to speak.
to contend for in rivalry.

verb (used without object)

to dispute; contend; compete.

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

synonym study For contest

2. See fight. 4. See compete.

Other words for contest

1	contention, rivalry, match, tournament, tourney, game
2	battle, encounter
3	strife, discord, antagonism, altercation; clash, difference, disagreement, opposition
5	controvert, oppose
6	challenge
8	strive, compete, vie

See synonyms for contest on Thesaurus.com

Other words from contest

con·test·a·ble, adjective
con·test·a·ble·ness, noun
con·test·a·bly, adverb
con·test·er, noun
con·test·ing·ly, adverb
pre·con·test, verb (used with object)
pre·con·test, noun
re·con·test, verb
sub·con·test, noun
su·per·con·test, noun
su·per·con·test, verb (used with object)
un·con·test·a·ble, adjective
un·con·test·a·bly, adverb

Words that may be confused with contest

contend, contest

Words Nearby contest

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use contest in a sentence

Our presidential model uses a dataset of 113 variables for presidential elections spanning each presidential contest from 1992 to 2020.
The Forecast: The Methodology Behind Our 2020 Election Model | Daniel Malloy | September 10, 2020 | Ozy
Begich had resisted calls from some Democrats to drop out of the contest, but with the general election three weeks away, Walker’s team was hopeful Begich might fold and present a united front against Dunleavy.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time | by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News | September 10, 2020 | ProPublica
If a map provides symmetric, or equal, opportunity for all parties in a contest to convert votes into seats, that map is deemed fair.
How next-gen computer generated maps detect partisan gerrymandering | Sujata Gupta | September 7, 2020 | Science News
If you missed out, you may want to consult the thousands of attack distributions from these previous contests.
The Fifth Battle For Riddler Nation | Zach Wissner-Gross | September 4, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
Once built, Microsoft tested the software on the DeepFake Detection Challenge Dataset, which Facebook AI created as part of a contest to build automated detection tools.
Microsoft’s new video authenticator could help weed out dangerous deepfakes | Stan Horaczek | September 3, 2020 | Popular-Science

In each contest, the Republican candidate outperformed the GOP result from 2012 among women voters.
Surprise! The GOP Closed the Gender Gap | Patricia Murphy | December 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Judging the contest are four prominent figures in the adult entertainment business with years of experience.
Inside ‘The Sex Factor’: Where 16 Men and Women Vie For Porn Immortality | Aurora Snow | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
As we move beyond November and into the next big contest, there are clear and hard lessons to be learned.
How the Lame Democrats Blew It | Goldie Taylor | November 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In 1998, she was selected to represent Israel in the prestigious Eurovision contest, winning first place.
Trans in the Holy Land: ‘Marzipan Flowers,’ Tal Kallai, and the Shattering of Israel’s LGBT Taboos | Itay Hod | November 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Polls show that in Maine, Tea Party Gov. Paul LePage is poised to win reelection in a three-way contest.
Return of the Northeastern Republican | David Freedlander | November 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The place was well defended by earthworks and natural parapets, and for several hours the issue of the contest was doubtful.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
During the contest the dragons called up a great wind which uprooted the tree.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
All day long the contest lasted, men fighting hand to hand in a confused mle.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
After the battle was over General Lawton declared that it was the toughest contest they had yet undertaken in this war.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
The contest was continued with great obstinacy till nightfall, when the rebels retired.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for contest

contest

noun(ˈkɒntɛst)

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(kənˈtɛst)

(tr) to try to disprove; call in question
(when intr, foll by with or against) to fight, dispute, or contend (with): contest an election

Origin of contest

C16: from Latin contestārī to introduce a lawsuit, from testis witness

Derived forms of contest

contestable, adjective
contestableness or contestability, noun
contestably, adverb
contestation, noun
contester, noun
contestingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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