Meaning & use
contest
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Meanings
nouncountable
An organized event in which people or teams compete to win a prize, title, or position.
Grammar: Stress falls on the first syllable: a CONtest. Often followed by for or between.
Patterns
- a contest for something
- a contest between A and B
- enter a contest
She won the baking contest with a lemon cake.
The two senators are locked in a close contest for the seat.
Over a thousand students entered the writing contest.
nouncountable
A struggle between opposing sides to gain power, influence, or advantage, not necessarily with a formal prize.
Grammar: Often used for uneven or dramatic struggles: not much of a contest.
Patterns
- a contest of something
- a contest for control of something
The match turned into a one-sided contest after the first goal.
It was a contest of wills between the stubborn twins.
The takeover became a bitter contest for control of the company.
verbtransitiveformal
To formally challenge a decision, result, or claim because you believe it is wrong.
Grammar: Stress falls on the second syllable: to conTEST. Takes an object: contest the will.
Patterns
- contest something
- contest a claim
The family plans to contest the will in court.
He contested the parking fine and won.
The losing candidate contested the election result.
verbtransitiveBritish
To compete for something such as a seat, title, or prize.
Grammar: Common in British English for elections: contest a seat.
Patterns
- contest a seat
- contest an election
Three parties will contest the seat at the next election.
She decided to contest the leadership of the club.
Only two teams contested the final for the trophy.
Word forms
| plural | contests |
|---|---|
| third person singular | contests |
| past tense | contested |
| past participle | contested |
| -ing form | contesting |
Common combinations
- enter a contest
- He entered a contest to win a trip to Rome.
- win a contest
- She won the poetry contest at fifteen.
- close contest
- The final was a close contest from start to finish.
- contest the result
- The party will contest the result in court.
- hotly contested
- The race for mayor was hotly contested.
- no contest
- Against the champion, it was no contest.
Synonyms and how they differ
- competition
- Competition is the broader word and can describe ongoing rivalry, whereas a contest is usually a single event with a winner.
- match
- Match is used mainly for sports between two sides, while contest also covers talent shows, elections and puzzles.
- dispute
- As a verb, dispute is closer to arguing that something is untrue, while contest suggests a formal challenge to a decision.
- challenge
- Challenge can be a casual dare or objection, but contest implies a formal process such as a court case.
Opposites
Word family
- contestant noun
- a person who takes part in a contest
- contested adjective
- argued over or competed for
- uncontested adjective
- not challenged or opposed
- contestable adjective
- open to being challenged
Commonly confused: contest or context?
contest vs context
Context is the surrounding situation that gives something meaning, and has nothing to do with competing.
Practice
The heirs decided to ______ the will because they believed it had been altered.
Choose one answer.
Contest as a verb means formally challenge, and takes will as an object. Compete and contend do not take that object, and context is a different word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “contest”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.