vie

American  

[vahy] / vaɪ /

verb (used without object)

• vies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• vied,
  past participle,  past
• vying
  present participle

1. to strive in competition or rivalry with another; contend for superiority.

   Swimmers from many nations were vying for the title.

   Synonyms:

   struggle, contest, compete

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verb (used with object)

• vies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• vied,
  past participle,  past
• vying
  present participle

1. Archaic. to put forward in competition or rivalry.

2. Obsolete. to stake in card playing.

vie British  

/ vaɪ /

verb

1. (intr; foll by with or for) to contend for superiority or victory (with) or strive in competition (for)

2. archaic (tr) to offer, exchange, or display in rivalry

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vier
  noun
• outvie
  verb (used with object)
• vying
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• vying
  present
• vied
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• vie
  simple
• vies
  simple
• have vied
  perfect
• has vied
  perfect
• am vying
  progressive
• are vying
  progressive
• is vying
  progressive
• have been vying
  perfect progressive
• has been vying
  perfect progressive

Past

• vied
  simple
• had vied
  perfect
• was vying
  progressive
• were vying
  progressive
• had been vying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will vie
  simple
• will have vied
  perfect
• will be vying
  progressive
• will have been vying
  perfect progressive

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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”

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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.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vie vies vied vying

Community College District trustee candidates vie for three open seats, promising to tackle student housing, job training, and basic needs across campuses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

The winner of the Juvenile normally is anointed the early favorite for next spring’s Kentucky Derby, but Hughes will have to vie for that label with U.S.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Now, Portland is experiencing a rarely seen housing competition, where higher-end apartments vie for some of the same tenants as income-restricted units.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

All vie to exhibit a more-protective-than-thou attitude about their sons, who are certainly talented, certainly have every advantage and certainly aren’t all going to make their way to Major League Baseball.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

The crowd shouts a Belle-blessing: "La beauté est la vie."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

The Aloha State now vies with California for highest income-tax rate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

The India investment is part of Microsoft's $23bn AI expansion across countries including Canada, Portugal and the UAE, as the company vies with rivals such as Amazon and Google.

From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025

Investors appear to be catching on to the pattern of escalation, followed immediately by de-escalation, as each side vies for maximum leverage.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2025

SpaceX's massive Starship rocket soared into its 11th test flight Monday, as the US company vies to ready its aerospace technology to deliver NASA's lunar projects and fulfill Elon Musk's Mars ambitions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2025

So alternate Love supplies Eternal courses still, and vies Mutual kindness; that no jars Nor discord can disturb the stars.

From Poems of Henry Vaughan, Silurist, Volume II by E. K. (Edmund Kerchever) Chambers

In 2015, as leader of Israel's centre-left Labour party, Herzog vied to oust Netanyahu as prime minister, presenting himself as a subdued, even-keeled alternative to the bombastic "Bibi".

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The race seems somewhat reminiscent of the 2003 recall election when 135 candidates vied to replace then-Gov.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

The iPhone maker has consistently vied for title of world’s most valuable company, producing an eye-catching 557% return since the end of 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026

Addressing reporters on Monday, she declared that "nearly a million young people" had vied for one of the coveted 150,000 tickets to BTS's Mexican gigs.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

There was much pushing and shoving as the meerkats behind vied to reach the pond’s edge.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

But of 22 candidates vying for the most hotly contested Senate seats this year, just five are female.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

Estuardo Mazariegos, co-director of the L.A. chapter of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, and Jose Ugarte, who previously served as a deputy chief of staff to Price, are vying for the seat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Students, vying for the class, expressed the urge to be forced to tackle classics, sharpen their attention spans and think for themselves in the age of AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

He is, after all, vying to become Bayern's first winner since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's second successive triumph in 1981.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

When the Huntsman came to the door at last, Con sprang up, agitation vying with relief on his face.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

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Related Words

• contend
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