contest
Americannoun
-
contests
plural
-
a race, conflict, or other competition between rivals, as for a prize.
- Synonyms:
- game, tourney, tournament, match, rivalry, contention
-
struggle for victory or superiority.
-
vigorous or bitter conflict in argument; dispute; controversy.
Their marriage was marred by perpetual contest.
- Synonyms:
- opposition, disagreement, difference, clash, altercation, antagonism, discord, strife
verb (used with object)
-
contests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contested,
past participle, past
-
contesting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
contests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contested,
past participle, past
-
contesting
present participle
noun
-
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
-
(tr) to try to disprove; call in question
-
to fight, dispute, or contend (with)
contest an election
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
contestablenessnoun
-
contestationnoun
-
contesternoun
-
precontestnoun
-
subcontestnoun
-
supercontestnoun
-
recontestverb
-
precontestverb (used with object)
-
supercontestverb (used with object)
-
contestableadjective
-
uncontestableadjective
-
contestablyadverb
-
contestinglyadverb
-
uncontestablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
contestsimple
-
contestssimple
-
have contestedperfect
-
has contestedperfect
-
am contestingprogressive
-
are contestingprogressive
-
is contestingprogressive
-
have been contestingperfect progressive
-
has been contestingperfect progressive
Past
-
contestedsimple
-
had contestedperfect
-
was contestingprogressive
-
were contestingprogressive
-
had been contestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
A contest is a struggle to determine who's tops –- you might wrestle an alligator in a contest of brute strength versus strategy. You can also enter a contest — a yodeling contest or a cake-decorating contest, depending on your talents. If you're being sued and you respond to the court order saying "no contest," you're saying you're not going to put up a fight. When you put the accent on the second syllable, contest becomes a verb, and it means to dispute something. You lost the election for class president, but you think there was something fishy going on at the ballot box, so you contest the results and ask for a recount.
Vocabulary lists containing contest
Beowulf vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Orbiting Jupiter
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Hundreds of third-party candidates are standing in the November 3 contest for the House of Representatives and Senate.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
BATH, Maine — Election after election, Republican Sen. Susan Collins has defied national political winds to return to office, representing a state that has backed Democrats in every presidential contest since 1992.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Gassiev is currently the WBA 'super' heavyweight world champion, but his status is unclear after reports claimed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua would be fighting for his world title in their contest on 11 December.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Batters, catchers and pitchers can contest a ball or strike call by immediately tapping their cap or helmet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
It was also the day of the Jim and Barry's ice-cream flavor contest.
From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene
Broaden the search to state and local contests and there are 474 electoral rematches nationwide -- proving that in American politics, as in Hollywood, there is rarely any objection to a sequel.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
The Bruins averaged 7,036 spectators for their home contests, among the lowest in the Big Ten.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“Since the creation of television, men have been historically underrepresented,” Mulaney said, explaining that the medium was all “beauty contests and children talking to hand puppets until the early ’60s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Netflix also has Christmas games, while more international contests are played Sunday mornings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Did they have ceremonies, moral codes, sports contests and religious rituals?
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
This 20th edition of the Games, which were first contested in 1951, did not have a traditional athletes' village in a bid to save money.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Plus, why tens of billions of dollars in contested tax bills hinge on two words, and AI CEOs challenged Dario Amodei over his industry warnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
He said the situation was "contested by Manchester City" and it would be "wrong" to "jump to a conclusion".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The Black Ferns have beaten the Red Roses in all five World Cup final meetings they have contested.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Public transportation was just one arena in which North Carolina blacks contested second-class status.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Fourteen electoral lists are contesting the election, but polls indicate only seven are likely to clear the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
By contesting the decision, you might have supplanted positive memories with ill will and friction.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Some in Labour were unhappy when Lennon didn't make the ballot for this contesting, lamenting a lack of breadth in the contest.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Randy Mastro, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, filed a letter on Tuesday contesting the automatic stay and maintaining that the court’s emergency pause is still in effect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
This reshaping of events happens in a dozen ways every day, contesting reality.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
