compete — to try to be more successful than someone else
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to try to be more successful than someone else
Pronunciation (IPA): /kəmˈpiːt/
Example Sentences
- My cat thinks it can compete with professional athletes in sleeping marathons.
- Companies compete fiercely for market share in the smartphone industry.
- Students compete for scholarships by maintaining high grades.
compete
VERB[/kəmˈpiːt/]
to try to be more successful than someone else
Two runners compete fiercely down the final stretch of the track.
Compete to complete, or face defeat!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'competere', originally meaning 'to seek together' or 'to pursue jointly'. The word initially carried a sense of cooperation, but evolved over time to mean 'to strive against others toward the same goal', acquiring its modern competitive sense.
Breakdown
com- (together) + petere (to seek, to pursue). The prefix 'com-' denotes joint action, while 'petere' means to aim for or chase after, originally suggesting coordinated effort rather than rivalry.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat thinks it can compete with professional athletes in sleeping marathons.”
“Companies compete fiercely for market share in the smartphone industry.”
“Students compete for scholarships by maintaining high grades.”
“My grandmother can compete with teenagers when it comes to using social media.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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