contest
Americannoun
-
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)
verb (used without object)
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
-
supercontestnoun
-
uncontestablyadverb
-
recontestverb
-
contestinglyadverb
-
contestablenessnoun
-
supercontestverb (used with object)
-
contestationnoun
-
contesternoun
-
uncontestableadjective
-
contestableadjective
-
subcontestnoun
-
contestablyadverb
-
precontestnoun
-
precontestverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have contestedperfect
-
has contestedperfect 3rd person singular
-
is contestingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been contestingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am contestingprogressive 1st person singular
-
are contestingprogressive
-
have been contestingperfect progressive
-
contestingparticiple
-
contestssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had contestedperfect
-
was contestingprogressive singular
-
had been contestingperfect progressive
-
were contestingprogressive plural
-
contestedparticiple
-
contestedsimple
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
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Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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Orbiting Jupiter
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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.
Forty-eight teams will contest the tournament, which will be played out in 104 matches across three countries over 39 days, including the co-hosts - Canada, Mexico and the United States - plus holders Argentina.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
The former housing secretary has not declared that she would stand in any Labour leadership contest but she is now using her freedom to push publicly for policy changes.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
The contest offers voters two starkly different politicians.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Gordon S. Wood did much to contest these baneful trends.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
"Why would Kevin enter a contest for something he can't eat?" she asked.
From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene
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.
