duel
Americannoun
-
duels
plural
-
a prearranged combat between two persons, fought with deadly weapons according to an accepted code of procedure, especially to settle a private quarrel.
-
any contest between two persons or parties.
verb (used with or without object)
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duels,
present (3rd person singular)
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dueled,
past participle, past
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duelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
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dueling,
present participle
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duelling
present participle (especially British)
noun
-
a prearranged combat with deadly weapons between two people following a formal procedure in the presence of seconds and traditionally fought until one party was wounded or killed, usually to settle a quarrel involving a point of honour
-
a contest or conflict between two persons or parties
verb
-
to fight in a duel
-
to contest closely
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
duelsimple
-
duelssimple
-
have dueledperfect
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have duelledperfect
-
has dueledperfect
-
has duelledperfect
-
am duelingprogressive
-
am duellingprogressive
-
are duelingprogressive
-
are duellingprogressive
-
is duelingprogressive
-
is duellingprogressive
-
have been duelingperfect progressive
-
have been duellingperfect progressive
-
has been duelingperfect progressive
-
has been duellingperfect progressive
Past
-
dueledsimple
-
duelledsimple
-
had dueledperfect
-
had duelledperfect
-
was duelingprogressive
-
was duellingprogressive
-
were duelingprogressive
-
were duellingprogressive
-
had been duelingperfect progressive
-
had been duellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of duel
1585–95; earlier duell < Medieval Latin duellum, Latin: earlier form of bellum war, probably maintained and given sense “duel” by association with Latin duo two
Explanation
A duel is a fight between two people, usually using swords or other weapons. If you tend to be a little cowardly, you're probably glad that people aren't expected to defend their honor with a duel these days. The classic definition of a duel is the kind that happens all the time in Shakespeare plays: two men clanking swords together in a battle to the death over some issue of honor or betrayal. Today, the word duel can be used to talk about any kind of contest or struggle — like a duel between political candidates. The word duel can be traced back to both duo, Latin for "two," and also duellum, which means "war."
Vocabulary lists containing duel
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #5
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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:
Sinner and Alcaraz produced a clean sweep of the Grand Slam titles in 2024 and 2025, winning four majors apiece in a duopoly which has morphed into a generational duel.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
By playing directly, even if Liverpool lose the initial duel, they are well placed to pounce upon second balls.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Why did book lovers stop just short of challenging Kondo to a duel over something she didn’t actually say?
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Erling Haaland showdown on June 26 when France faces Norway in a duel between two of the world’s best scorers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Hamilton’s last days contained several other incidents of equivalent poignancy, though they were only recognizable when viewed through the knowledge of the looming duel.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Scott's energy and ball-carrying ability suit Maresca's preferred style of play - with a heavy emphasis on possession - while his passes into the box and ability to win duels make him an appealing option.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
With opposition sides matching up man-for-man, the game then becomes a series of one-against-one duels, so strong players who can beat their defender are exceptionally valuable.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Toure came out on top in 152 duels and won the ball back 127 times in his final league campaign at Hoffenheim.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
A special mention should go to Bosnia-Herzegovina's Jovo Lukic who was absolutely flawless in the air against Canada, winning all nine of his aerial duels.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
They had already dueled on the clay of Roland-Garros and the grass of Wimbledon this season, taking one final apiece.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2025
Cody’s Wish dueled leader National Treasure down the stretch.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 4, 2023
You could choose to showcase different sorts of stories with a more positive attitude and still be a hit; see Oprah Winfrey, whose talk show Springer’s dueled with in the ratings.
From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
Cooke and Czinano dueled in a thrilling Final Four matchup that saw Czinano, an All-Big Ten first-team selection, score 18 points as the Hawkeyes shocked Cooke’s previously undefeated Gamecocks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2023
Hylla would have dueled Otrera two nights in a row by now, assuming she had survived.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
He duelled with O'Rourke, eventually getting into a tangle against a short ball and being given caught behind on review.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
But Valérien Ismaël, Barnsley’s head coach, has previously duelled with Tuchel on the touchline in the Bundesliga, when his Wolfsburg side lost 3-0 to Borussia Dortmund.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 11, 2021
Open ended with Mickelson once again having to settle for being second after he and fellow American Payne Stewart had duelled for the title during a cool and rainy final round.
From Reuters ● Jun. 10, 2014
Above, planes, that in 1914 would have appeared unimaginably sophisticated duelled in the skies, some carrying experimental wireless radio sets, reporting real-time reconnaissance.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2014
She’d duelled for their freedom, out-pirated the pirates, gained the crew’s respect so well that Blackbeard finally put them ashore lest Hylla take over his ship.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Despite the dueling proposals, talks between the countries are still in their early stages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The cone of silence around the wedding is the only place in which these dueling Swifts can freely coexist.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
He and the large L.A.-based produce company have dueling legal complaints over a contract delineating how the fruit was to be marketed and sold.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Known as “America’s Resort,” the Greenbrier is now caught between dueling lawsuits and barbs traded by a wealthy U.S. senator and the deep-pocketed owners of more than 50 luxury hotels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
They were not alike; Aberforth was never bookish and, unlike Albus, preferred to settle arguments by dueling rather than through reasoned discussion.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
London's Metropolitan Police said ahead of the duelling events that it would mount one of its largest operations in recent years, as the British capital also hosts the FA Cup Final.
From Barron's ● May 16, 2026
A trial pitting two founders of OpenAI - Sam Altman and Elon Musk - against each other has opened in California, with the sides presenting duelling narratives about the company's history and obligations to consumers.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
Caldentey's industry and duelling, paired with her technical quality both centrally and out wide, made her one of the most complete footballers in the world last season.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2025
Max Verstappen continued to apply pressure on McLaren's duelling title rivals on Saturday when, hours after winning the sprint race, he claimed pole position for Sunday's United States Grand Prix.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025
Percy had been intimidating enough before - summoning hurricanes, duelling pirates, killing giants in the Colosseum...
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
