Word
Definitions
01a competitor
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person, group, or business that is competing with you for the same thing.
n. a person, organization, or entity competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.
日本語:ライバル※
“The two companies have been business rivals for over twenty years.”
“The political rivals agreed to a televised debate to clarify their opposing positions on the proposed economic reforms.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02to match or equal
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to be as good as, as strong as, or better than someone or something else.
v. to be comparable to another in quality, size, or merit; often used to indicate that something has reached a high standard.
日本語:匹敵する※
“The beauty of the mountains here rivals anything I have seen in Europe.”
“The speed and efficiency of the new processing chip rival those of much more expensive industrial models.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb and does not require a preposition like 'with'.
03competing
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describing people or groups that are competing against each other.
adj. competing for the same objective or superiority; typically used attributively before a noun.
日本語:ライバル※
“The project was delayed because of pressure from rival groups in the city.”
“Rival factions within the party struggled to reach a consensus before the national convention began.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “rival” in context.
Verb
01. closely rival the original
“The new sequel is impressive because it closely rivals the original film in quality.”
adv + verb + noun
02. defeat a rival
“The champion managed to defeat his rival in a grueling five-set match.”
verb + noun
03. eliminate a rival for the position
“She worked hard to eliminate every rival for the position of CEO.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Adjective
04. bitter rival
“The two tech giants have been bitter rivals for over a decade.”
adj + noun
05. chief rival
“The senator's chief rival in the upcoming election is gaining popularity in the polls.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. rival for the title
“He is currently the strongest rival for the title of world champion.”
noun + prep + noun
07. rivalry between the teams
“The intense rival between the teams often leads to sold-out stadiums.”
noun + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“If you have used a free version of ChatGPT or any of its AI rivals, then you are obviously getting a good deal.” “Count Binface, his costumed main rival, came second with 27 percent, a personal best.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin rīvālis (literally “person using the same stream as another”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/rival
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR