compete
C1Neutral (used in formal, academic, business, and everyday contexts)
Definition
Meaning
to try to win or be more successful than others, especially in sports, business, or other activities
To strive to achieve something in the face of opposition or comparison; to engage in a contest or rivalry.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies active opposition or rivalry; often involves a formal contest or market, but can be used metaphorically. The focus is on the effort to win, not necessarily the outcome.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. Minor preference differences in collocations, e.g., 'compete in a tournament' (slightly more common in UK) vs. 'compete in a tournament/competition' (both common in US).
Connotations
Equally strong connotations of rivalry and effort in both dialects.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties, especially in sports, business, and academic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Sb] competes with/against [Sb/Group] for [Sth][Sb] competes in [Event/Area][Sb/Group] competes to [do sth]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A level playing field (a fair competition)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe company rivalry in a market: 'We can't compete with their low prices.'
Academic
Used in discussions of theories, models, or for research funding: 'Several hypotheses compete to explain the phenomenon.'
Everyday
Common in sports, games, school, and social comparisons: 'My kids compete for my attention.'
Technical
Used in economics (perfect competition), biology (interspecific competition), and computing (concurrent processes).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Small shops struggle to compete with the large supermarkets.
- Athletes from over 100 nations will compete in the games.
- Our research must compete for limited funding.
American English
- Our company can't compete on price alone.
- She's competing for a spot on the Olympic team.
- The two theories directly compete with each other.
adverb
British English
- (Rarely used as a standalone adverb; 'competitively' is standard.)
American English
- (Rarely used as a standalone adverb; 'competitively' is standard.)
adjective
British English
- The competing bids were evaluated by a panel.
- He was torn by competing loyalties to his family and his job.
American English
- The lawsuit was filed by a competing firm.
- She had to balance competing demands on her time.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My brother and I compete in computer games.
- The two teams compete every Saturday.
- Many companies compete to sell the best mobile phones.
- It's difficult for small businesses to compete with large chains.
- The athlete had to compete against the world record holder.
- The new policy aims to help domestic industries compete in the global market.
- The theories of Newton and Einstein competed for dominance in the early 20th century.
- Start-ups must innovate relentlessly to compete with entrenched incumbents.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a COMPETition. To COMPETE is to take part in one.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE/WORK IS A RACE/A CONTEST.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'compensate' (компенсировать).
- Russian 'конкурировать' is often narrower (business/economics). 'Compete' has a much wider application (sports, academics, biology).
- Care with preposition: 'compete WITH/AGAINST someone', not 'to someone'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'They competed each other.' Correct: 'They competed with each other.'
- Incorrect: 'We compete on them.' Correct: 'We compete with them.' or 'We compete against them.'
- Incorrect use of tense: 'We are compete' instead of 'We are competing'.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'compete' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are largely interchangeable. 'Compete against' can sound slightly more direct or oppositional, while 'compete with' is more common and neutral.
Yes. You can say 'He loves to compete' (the context implies a general arena) or 'Our product competes well' (implies in the market).
Not necessarily. The core is striving to be better or more successful. One can compete honourably and still lose. The focus is on the effort and rivalry.
The main noun is 'competition'. A person who competes is a 'competitor'. The abstract quality is 'competitiveness'.