compete

UK: /kəmˈpiːt/ US: /kəmˈpit/ ,(kəm pēt′)

Inflections of 'compete' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

competes

v 3rd person singular

competing

v pres p

competed

v past

competed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pete /kəmˈpit/   v. [no object] , -pet•ed, -pet•ing. 

1. to struggle to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, etc.;
   engage in a contest:
   Birds compete for food with squirrels.

See -pet-. Related Words

compete is a verb, competition is a noun, competitive is an adjective:
They like to compete against each other. Competition should help lower prices. Prices were not always competitive.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pete  (kəm pēt′), v.i., -pet•ed, -pet•ing. 

1. to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.;
   engage in a contest;
   vie:
   to compete in a race; to compete in business.

• Latin competere to meet, coincide, be fitting, suffice (Late Latin: seek, ask for), equivalent. to com- com- + petere to seek; Late Latin and English sense influenced by competitor
• 1610–20

com•pet′er, n. 
com•pet′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

struggle. Compete, contend, contest mean to strive to outdo or excel. Compete implies having a sense of rivalry and of striving to do one's best as well as to outdo another:
to compete for a prize.
Contend suggests opposition or disputing as well as rivalry:
to contend with an opponent, against obstacles.
Contest suggests struggling to gain or hold something, as well as contending or disputing:
to contest a position or ground
(in battle); to contest a decision.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

compete / kəmˈpiːt/ verb

1. (intransitive) often followed by with: to contend (against) for profit, an award, athletic supremacy, etc; engage in a contest (with)

Etymology: 17th Century: from Late Latin competere to strive together, from Latin: to meet, come together, agree, from com- together + petere to seek