vie
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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Archaic. to put forward in competition or rivalry.
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Obsolete. to stake in card playing.
verb
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(intr; foll by with or for) to contend for superiority or victory (with) or strive in competition (for)
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archaic (tr) to offer, exchange, or display in rivalry
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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viesimple
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viessimple
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have viedperfect
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has viedperfect
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am vyingprogressive
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are vyingprogressive
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is vyingprogressive
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have been vyingperfect progressive
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has been vyingperfect progressive
Past
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viedsimple
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had viedperfect
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was vyingprogressive
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were vyingprogressive
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had been vyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of vie
First recorded in 1525–35; by shortening of Middle French envier “to raise the stake (at cards),” Old French: “to challenge, provoke,” from Latin invītāre “to entertain, treat, invite”
Explanation
To vie for something means to compete for it. Two teams may vie for the gold medal, but one will have to go home with silver. Vie may be spelled the same as the French word, vie, but they are pronounced differently, vī and vē respectively, and are not related in meaning or history. English vie comes from the Latin verb meaning "to invite" as in to invite a challenge. Be careful of the spelling which includes an ie to y shift. “He intends to vie for the top prize,” but “He is vying for the top prize.”
Vocabulary lists containing vie
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Beowulf
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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.
One company removed from the platform is C'est La Vie, which claimed to be a longstanding jewellery retailer run by Patrick and Eileen in Birmingham but had a returns address in China.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025
To separate her business from the scam, Deanna spent days researching the fake C'est La Vie business and redesigned her whole website to make the difference clear to customers.
From BBC • Oct. 10, 2025
The caption simply stated the date — “9.27.25” — flanked by white heart emojis and audio of “La Vie En Rose” overlaying the display.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2025
Two veteran life-sciences investors have launched Vie Ventures, which plans to fund biotechnology startups targeting autoimmune diseases and connect them with nonprofits that might accelerate their drug development.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2025
Dialogue de la Vie et de la Mort, trans. from the Italian by J. Louveau, and printed in imitation of MS., second edit., 12o.
From Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867 With a Preliminary Notice of the earlier Library founded in the Fourteenth Century by Macray, William Dunn
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.
