rival

[ rahy-vuhl ]

/ ˈraɪ vəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rival ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who is competing for the same object or goal as another, or who tries to equal or outdo another; competitor.

a person or thing that is in a position to dispute another's preeminence or superiority: a stadium without a rival.

Obsolete. a companion in duty.

adjective

competing or standing in rivalry: rival suitors; rival businesses.

verb (used with object), ri·valed, ri·val·ing or (especially British) ri·valled, ri·val·ling.

to compete with in rivalry: strive to win from, equal, or outdo.

to prove to be a worthy rival of: He soon rivaled the others in skill.

to equal (something) as if in carrying on a rivalry: The Hudson rivals any European river in beauty.

verb (used without object), ri·valed, ri·val·ing or (especially British) ri·valled, ri·val·ling.

to engage in rivalry; compete.

Nearby words

Origin of rival

1570–80; < Latin rīvālis orig., one who uses a stream in common with another, equivalent to rīv(us) stream + -ālis -al¹

SYNONYMS FOR rival

1. contestant, emulator, antagonist. See opponent. 4. competitive, opposed. 5. oppose. 7. match, emulate.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rival ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR rival

1. ally.

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Related forms

ri·val·less, adjectivenon·ri·val, noun, adjectiveout·ri·val, verb (used with object), out·ri·valed, out·ri·val·ing or (especially British) out·ri·valled, out·ri·val·ling.un·ri·val·ing, adjective

un·ri·val·ling, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rivaled

That Scrubs failure could be rivaled by that lottery-winning season of Roseanne most of us prefer to pretend never happened.
‘Community’ Review: ‘Repilot’ Is Both an Epic Failure and a Major Success|Kevin Fallon|January 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her fame in the 60s and 70s rivaled that of any celebrity in the world.
Death of JFK Spawned an Industry That Thrived for Decades|Richard Woodward|November 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The whole incident was a PR nightmare for McCain, rivaled only by the shenanigans of his own running mate.
10 Craziest Media Hoaxes|The Daily Beast Video|October 17, 2009|DAILY BEAST
His love for Jacky rivaled his passion for poker, and in its pure honesty was perhaps nearly as strong as that feverish zest.
The Story of the Foss River Ranch|Ridgwell Cullum

He was fifty-four years old, but he showed an energy and determination which more than rivaled the fire of his young manhood.
Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made|James D. McCabe, Jr.
The chief man of the temple, representative of the old Kandy kings, rivaled Falstaff in his appearance.
My Trip Around the World|Eleonora Hunt
Commerce, long abandoned, sprang up and rivaled its tide in Solomon's reign.
The World's Progress, Vol. I (of X)|Various
When he thought how beautiful and young she was his heart overflowed with a gentle tenderness which rivaled that of any mother.
The Crimson Gardenia and Other Tales of Adventure|Rex Beach

British Dictionary definitions for rivaled

rival

/ (ˈraɪvəl) /

noun

a person, organization, team, etc, that competes with another for the same object or in the same field
(as modifier)rival suitors; a rival company

a person or thing that is considered the equal of another or othersshe is without rival in the field of economics

verb -vals, -valling or -valled or US -vals, -valing or -valed (tr)

to be the equal or near equal ofan empire that rivalled Rome

to try to equal or surpass; compete with in rivalry

Word Origin for rival

C16: from Latin rīvalis, literally: one who shares the same brook, from rīvus a brook

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

Word Origin and History for rivaled

rival

1570s, from Latin rivalis "a rival, adversary in love; neighbor," originally, "of the same brook," from rivus "brook" (see rivulet). "One who is in pursuit of the same object as another." The sense evolution seems to be based on the competitiveness of neighbors: "one who uses the same stream," or "one on the opposite side of the stream" A secondary sense in Latin and sometimes in English was "associate, companion in duty," from the notion of "one having a common right or privilege with another." As an adjective 1580s from the noun.

rival

c.1600, from rival (n.). Related: Rivaled; rivaling.

rival

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), ri·valed, ri·val·ing or (especially British) ri·valled, ri·val·ling.

verb (used without object), ri·valed, ri·val·ing or (especially British) ri·valled, ri·val·ling.

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Origin of rival

Examples from the Web for rivaled

rival

noun

verb -vals, -valling or -valled or US -vals, -valing or -valed (tr)

Word Origin for rival

rival

rival