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:
It appears that Tarik El Guindy is a judge and media personality for worldwide bodybuilding competitions, including the Mr. Olympia contest, though he uses the slightly differently spelled first name Terrick in that space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The NPO, which oversees public broadcasting in the country, has now stepped in, saying coverage of the contest will be provided by broadcasting organisation NOS, while an independent panel will select the Dutch participant.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Acknowledging that the contest provokes "mixed feelings" in the Netherlands, the NPO said it had "explicitly asked the EBU to once again make the unifying character of the festival an important part of the event".
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
When the contest is between offensive and defensive AI, the defense needs to be ready.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Abraham Lincoln won the contest for president of the United States.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Three costume contests, judged by Waters and his guests, are full-on productions with stage blood and plenty of references to the director’s films.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Céline Dion tribute boat cruises on Seine - complete with costume contests, sing-alongs, DJ sets, are happening throughout September.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Netflix also has Christmas games, while more international contests are played Sunday mornings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Both were ruled a suicide, though the mother of one of the deceased - Trey Reed - contests those findings.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Bobby lost games he should have drawn and drew contests he should have won.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
He was mostly there to attend the final two rounds of the Irish Open golf tournament, being contested at a resort he owns in County Clare.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
More than two million voters are eligible to vote for 80 parliament seats being contested by 13 parties.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Whether the airport can in fact legally be constructed is being contested in the courts even as the runways get tarmacked.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Intelligence is a contested term, but Mr. Damasio seems to use the word to signal an ability to solve problems without reliance on rote procedures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The machine contested Du Bois at every turn, ensuring that the NAACP’s magazine, Crisis, was banned from Negro college campuses and pulling strings in an attempt to destroy Du Bois and his movement.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Earlier this year, the firm signed a 12-month agreement worth $1.2 million with Atiku Abubakar, who is contesting the Nigerian presidency.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 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
That history is why contesting the constitutional allocation of public safety cannot mean giving private people authority to govern vulnerable people.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
We began a long and detailed argument contesting the indictment itself.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
