compete

[ kuhm-peet ]

verb (used without object)

, com·pet·ed, com·pet·ing.

1. to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.; engage in a contest; vie: to compete in business.

   to compete in a race;

   to compete in business.

   Synonyms: struggle

compete

/ kəmˈpiːt /

verb

1. introften foll bywith to contend (against) for profit, an award, athletic supremacy, etc; engage in a contest (with)

Other Words From

• com·pet·er noun
• com·pet·ing·ly adverb
• non·com·pet·ing adjective
• out·com·pete verb (used with object) outcompeted outcompeting

Word History and Origins

Origin of compete¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin competere “to meet, coincide, be fitting, suffice” ( Late Latin: “to seek, ask for”), equivalent to com- “with, together” + petere “to seek”; com-. The Late Latin and English senses were influenced by competitor

Word History and Origins

Origin of compete¹

C17: from Late Latin competere to strive together, from Latin: to meet, come together, agree, from com- together + petere to seek

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cannot/can't compete with, to not be, by a great degree, as good or capable as (someone or something else):

   These roses are lovely, but they can’t compete with the ones we grew back home in Ecuador.

Synonym Study

Compete, contend, contest mean to strive to outdo or excel. Compete implies having a sense of rivalry and of striving to do one's best as well as to outdo another: to compete for a prize. Contend suggests opposition or disputing as well as rivalry: to contend with an opponent, against obstacles. Contest suggests struggling to gain or hold something, as well as contending or disputing: to contest a position or ground ( in battle ); to contest a decision.

Example Sentences

For this study, the authors use a conditional generative adversarial network, or GAN, a type of machine learning method that can generate realistic images using two competing, or "adversarial," neural networks.

From Science Daily

Teamwork can provide a backup supply of water, reduce maintenance costs, and allow small utilities to share these essential resources and collaborate on, rather than compete for, grant applications.

From Salon

Isolated on an island off the English coast where the author had lived in a labyrinthine mansion, the teens must work together while competing separately for a life-changing amount of money.

From Los Angeles Times

There were concerns about administering it and about counties competing against each other's different tax rates.

From BBC

With the 2025 Six Nations the next focus for Scotland, Townsend was asked if he feels his side are ready to kick on and compete after the autumn they have had.

From BBC

Related Words

• battle
• challenge
• clash
• contend
• contest
• face
• fight
• play
• spar
• try
• vie
• wrestle