competition

/ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːmpəˈtɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkäm-pə-ˈti-shən/ (ame, mw)

competition — noun

  • competitionsingular
  • competitionsplural

1. the situation that arises when several people or organizations all try to obtain

1.名詞B2
釋義

the situation that arises when several people or organizations all try to obtain the same desirable thing — such as a prize, a job, a customer, or market share — knowing that the supply will not cover everyone.

例句

The competition among local bakeries for the best cake recipe has grown fierce.

uncountable; competition among [group] for [resource]

There is tough competition between the two airlines to offer the cheapest flights.

competition between [A] and [B] to [goal]

同義詞
  • rivalry

    more personal or direct, often between named individuals or groups over a long period

  • contention

    more formal; often used in sports leagues or political races

  • battling

    emphasizes continuous effort; more informal

  • vying

    suggests active striving; used in formal or literary contexts

反義詞

用法筆記

This sense is uncountable. It describes the general situation of competing rather than a specific event. Commonly used with adjectives such as fierce, stiff, intense, healthy, and unfair, and followed by for (the goal) or between/among (the participants).

常見錯誤

❌There were many competitions in the job market.
✅There was a lot of competition in the job market.
💡for the general situation of rivalry, use the uncountable form.
❌The competition between the two teams were very exciting.
✅The competition between the two teams was very exciting.
💡competition is uncountable here, so take a singular verb.

2. an event with rules in which a number of people take part and a winner is chosen

2.名詞A2
釋義

an event with rules in which a number of people take part and a winner is chosen — often in activities such as sports, cooking, writing, or music, and usually with a prize for the person who does best.

例句

Diego entered the annual photography competition at the city art museum.

countable; enter a competition

The school held a science competition where students built working robots from recycled parts.

hold / organise a competition

同義詞
  • contest

    similar meaning; often used for less formal or single-activity events

  • tournament

    a series of competitions with elimination rounds

  • championship

    the final competition to decide the overall winner in a series

  • race

    a competition where speed is the deciding factor

用法筆記

This sense is countable. It refers to a specific, scheduled event with a clear structure and usually a prize. Unlike contest (which can be less formal), a competition often involves multiple rounds or judging criteria.

常見錯誤

❌I joined a competition of arm wrestling at the beach.
✅I joined an arm-wrestling contest at the beach.
💡for informal, one-off events, contest is more natural.
❌We had a competition about who can eat the most hot dogs.
✅We had a competition to see who could eat the most hot dogs.
💡use 'to see who' or an infinitive of purpose, not 'about'.

3. the person, group, or company that someone is up against in a contest, election,

3.名詞B1
釋義

the person, group, or company that someone is up against in a contest, election, or business situation — those who must be beaten to succeed.

例句

Kofi studied his competition carefully before the national chess championship.

possessive + competition = rival person/group

The new phone is much faster than anything the competition has produced so far.

同義詞
  • rivals

    more personal; often used for known individuals or teams over time

  • opponents

    used in games, debates, and legal cases

  • challengers

    those who try to take the top position from the current leader

  • competitors

    formal term, especially in business contexts

反義詞
  • ally

    someone on the same side

  • teammate

    a member of one's own group

用法筆記

Used with a possessive determiner (my competition, the company's competition) or with the definite article (the competition). Treated as uncountable — use a singular verb even when referring to multiple people: 'the competition is strong'. Distinguish from sense 1 (RIVALRY): sense 3 refers to specific people/companies, not the general activity.

常見錯誤

❌My competitions are all very fast runners.
✅My competition is all very fast runners.
💡when referring to rivals as a group, competition is uncountable.
❌We must beat our competitions in the market.
✅We must beat the competition in the market.
💡use the competition (singular) for all rival businesses.