Word
compete
Phoneticscom·pete, stress on the second syllable
US/kəmˈpit/
UK/kəmpˈiːt/
Definitions
01to take part in a contest
A2 · Elementary Sports
v. to take part in a race, a game, or a competition.
v. to participate in an organized event or contest against other participants.
“Thousands of runners from all over the world compete in the London Marathon every year.”
“Professional athletes often spend years training for the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games, where the margin between victory and defeat is measured in milliseconds.”
Usage
Usually takes the preposition 'in' for the event and 'against' or 'with' for the opponent.
Pitfall
He competed the race yesterday.
He competed in the race yesterday.
The verb 'compete' is intransitive; you must use 'in' before the event you are participating in.
Synonyms
02to strive for success in business
B1 · Intermediate
v. to try to be better or more successful than other people or companies.
v. to strive to gain or win something that another is also trying to gain, such as market share or a specific reward.
“Small local shops find it very difficult to compete with large supermarkets on price.”
“In a globalized economy, corporations must constantly innovate to compete effectively against emerging tech firms that offer lower overhead costs and faster delivery times.”
Usage
Commonly followed by 'with' or 'against' to identify the rival entity.
Antonyms
03to be good enough to win
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to be as good as others so that you have a chance of winning.
v. to possess the necessary quality or skill to be a viable contender in a specific arena.
“The team played well, but they simply couldn't compete at this high level.”
“While the prototype showed promise, the engineering team realized the current battery life was insufficient to compete in the premium smartphone market.”
Teaching tip
This sense often appears in the negative ('cannot compete') to describe something that is not of a high enough standard.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“At OpenAI’s annual DevDay conference, the company pulled out all the stops to compete with its rivals — primarily Meta, whose Muse AI agent platform has seen early runaway success.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French competer, from Latin competere (“to coincide, to be equal to, to be capable of”), from com- (“with”) + petō (“to seek; to aim for, strive for”). Compare Latin competītor (“competitor”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/compete