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
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Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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Orbiting Jupiter
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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:
This week he answered questions from a woman who wants to contest her father’s will, which was changed suddenly to leave everything to her brother.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
The story takes a surprising, bittersweet turn, and Ms. Hepola realizes she’s in a contest she can’t win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
His decision not to seek the minority leadership clears the way for a contest between current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Once that state’s contest for governor was called for Bottoms, MS NOW’s team tapped Symone Sanders-Townsend to contextualize what that meant for voters and Black women.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2026
When Mr. Martinez announced that Specimen had won first prize in the art contest Jeremy clapped and cheered.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
He was the center of attention and chose his party’s nominees in key contests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Track which contests are in play and how they have shifted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Losing candidates in both House and Senate races can file contests, with slightly different processes in each of the two chambers.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Here, we profile the personalities making waves in these much-watched contests.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Her parents bought her a dictionary of her own, giving her an advantage in classroom spelling contests.
From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose
Zverev denied the claims and contested the order, with a public trial taking place in Berlin in May 2024.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Only a third of the Senate's 100 seats are being contested in these midterms, and few of the races were seen as favorable to Democrats.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The Bananas are often described as a baseball version of the Globetrotters, but a critical difference is that their games are contested.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Arizona’s 6th congressional district has been one of the most hotly contested races for several election cycles.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
Both declines have been laid to drought, but this is contested.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
“Successfully contesting a will requires substantial evidence to support your claims,” the law firm adds.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
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
The couple is contesting the IRS’s claims in tax court, arguing their financial moves align with standard industry practices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The pair contesting the US Open final means they will close the Grand Slam season as they began it in the Australian Open's showpiece match.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
We began a long and detailed argument contesting the indictment itself.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
