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:
The case that it is highly insensitive to modest increases in rates rests on the assumption that firms expect returns large enough to dwarf the cost of money, and they see the contest as winner-take-all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
You wouldn’t have imagined anything major to come out of any contest, any seat.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026
The contest was the first world title fight to be broadcast live on TikTok, generating 3.4m views.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
The neck-and-neck contest is a big change from September, when Raman jumped out to an 11-percentage-point lead with support from 39% of likely voters compared with Bass at 28%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The Eddie is a big-wave-surfing contest that’s only held in years when the waves top twenty feet in Waimea Bay.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
It was an act he would repeat before 11 regular-season contests that year.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Fleming, was a literary scholar who, in his spare time, put together three books about dramatic baseball contests of yore by artfully stitching together contemporary newspaper accounts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
At the same time, races at the local level could have an outsize impact, including contests for control of the governor’s mansion and state house.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
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 Savoy, the Golden Gate, and the Renaissance ballrooms battled for the crowds—the Savoy introduced such attractions as Thursday Kitchen Mechanics’ Nights, bathing beauty contests, and a new car given away each Saturday night.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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
Perhaps the most contested race is Seat 6, where incumbent Gabriel Buelna is facing off against Randall Winston, who serves as deputy mayor of infrastructure and climate resilience under Bass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
The deal -- long contested by Commerzbank -- should enable UniCredit to merge Commerzbank with its German subsidiary HypoVereinsbank, acquired in 2005.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
As the swelling throng marched singing into Montgomery, the Voting Rights Act was beginning its own contested journey through the political thickets of Congress.
From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman
By contesting the decision, you might have supplanted positive memories with ill will and friction.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 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
She’s contesting the emerging narrative—and maybe her apparent ouster, too.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
We began a long and detailed argument contesting the indictment itself.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
