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rival

ri·val

rival

 
 
pronunciation:
raI vl
parts of speech:
noun, adjective, transitive verb
features:
Word Combinations (noun, adjective, verb), Word History
part of speech: noun
definition 1: the person with whom one is competing; competitor.
He studied his rival in hope of finding a weakness.
 
synonyms:
competitor, contestant, opposition, the competition
antonyms:
ally
similar words:
adversary, foe, match
definition 2: a person or thing that is capable of being a competitor.
As a pianist, he has few rivals.
synonyms:
challenger, equal, peer
similar words:
competitor
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part of speech: adjective
definition: being or capable of being a rival; competing or competitive.
They lost most of their business to a rival company and eventually went bankrupt.The rival team is looking very strong tonight.
synonyms:
competing, competitive
similar words:
emulous, opposing
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part of speech: transitive verb
inflections: rivals, rivaling, rivaled
definition 1: to attempt to outdo; compete with or against.
They strongly rivaled all their competitors.
synonyms:
fight
similar words:
battle, challenge, combat, contest, jostle, oppose
definition 2: to be as good as; equal.
The sequel rivals the original film.
synonyms:
equal, match
similar words:
approach, parallel, touch
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Word History
Rival comes from rivus, a Latin word that means "stream." Rivalus, the Latin word for "rival," originally meant "a person who uses the same stream as another."