Contest — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /kən-ˈtest/ (verb) /ˈkän-ˌtest/ (noun) con·test

Meaning & Definition of Contest

Contest (verb)

  1. strive, vie
  2. to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation; especially, dispute, challenge

Contest (noun)

  1. a struggle for superiority or victory, competition
  2. a competition in which each contestant performs without direct contact with or interference from competitors

Contest (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another

    "the eternal contest between the forces of good and the forces of evil"

    similar: ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, struggle, sweepstakes, tug-of-war, war, warfare
    related: horse race, nail-biter, showdown, clash, collision, discord, friction, argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dispute, dissension, quarrel, row, wrangle
    near: concord, harmony, peace

  2. a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize

    "a contest for the gold medal in diving"

    similar: bout, competition, event, game, match, matchup, meet, sweepstakes, tournament, tourney
    related: athletics, sport, battle, conflict, scrimmage, skirmish, struggle, tug-of-war, tussle, championship, national(s), final, nightcap, play-off, semifinal, derby, field day, gymkhana, open, outing, biathlon, decathlon, heptathlon, pentathlon, triathlon, marathon, race, ultramarathon, heat, round, run, set, rally, volley, round-robin, rubber, runoff, sudden death, dead heat, photo finish, seesaw, classic

  3. a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

    "what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters"

    similar: battle, clash, combat, conflict, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle
    related: pitched battle, rough-and-tumble, affray (chiefly British), battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee, mix-up, ruckus, ruction, blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-out, punch-up (chiefly British), slugfest, confrontation, duel, face-off, joust, altercation, argle-bargle (chiefly British), argument, argy-bargy (chiefly British), contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle, catfight
    near: truce

Contest (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to demand proof of the truth or rightness of

    "vowed to contest the claim in court"

    similar: challenge, dispute, impeach, oppugn, query, question, call in question
    related: doubt, mistrust, kick (about), object (to), protest, combat, fight, oppose, resist
    opposite: accept, believe, embrace, swallow
    near: back, defend, support, advocate, champion, promote, abide, endure, stomach, tolerate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Contest

The most common words with a similar meaning to Contest:

ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, struggle, sweepstakes, tug-of-war, war, warfare, bout, event, game, matchup, meet, tournament, tourney, clash, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, tussle, challenge, dispute

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Contest

Words with the opposite meaning of Contest:

accept, believe, embrace, swallow

Related Words for Contest

horse race, nail-biter, showdown, collision, discord, friction, argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dissension, quarrel, row, wrangle, athletics, sport, championship, national(s), final, nightcap, play-off, semifinal, derby, field day, gymkhana, open, outing, biathlon, decathlon

Near Antonyms of Contest

concord, harmony, peace, truce, back, defend, support, advocate, champion, promote, abide, endure, stomach, tolerate

Word Forms of Contest

Inflections: contested, contesting, contests

Derived words: contestable (adjective), contester (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Contest

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French contester "to debate, make the subject of dispute," earlier "to refuse to recognize a right or claim," probably borrowed from Old Occitan contestar, borrowed from Latin contestārī "to call to witness," in the phrase lītem contestārī (with līt-, līs "dispute at law") "to join issue in a legal suit," from con- con- + -testārī, verbal derivative of testis "witness" testament

First known use: 1603i

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Contest

Words & Phrases Containing Contest

beauty contest, no contest, pissing contest, popularity contest

Frequently Asked Questions about Contest

What does "Contest" mean?

"Contest" means strive, vie. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: strive, vie. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Contest"?

Other words for "Contest" include ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention and dogfight. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Contest" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Contest"?

There are 135 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Contest". Common alternatives include ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, dogfight, duel and face-off.

What is the opposite of "Contest"?

Antonyms of "Contest" include accept, believe, embrace and swallow. Near antonyms include concord, harmony, peace and truce.

How do you use "Contest" in a sentence?

Examples of "Contest" in a sentence: "the eternal contest between the forces of good and the forces of evil"; "a contest for the gold medal in diving"; "what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters".

Is "Contest" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Contest" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Contest" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Contest" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Contest"?

"Contest" is pronounced /kən-ˈtest/ as a verb and /ˈkän-ˌtest/ as a noun and divided into syllables as con·test.