compete verb

/kəmˈpiːt/ v [I]

Definition

•

to try to be more successful than someone or something else

It's difficult for a small supermarket to compete against/with the big supermarkets.

Both girls compete for their father's attention.

figurative Turn the music down - I'm not competing against/with that noise (= I can't/won't try to speak louder than that music)!

•

to take part in a race or competition

Are you competing in the 100 metres?

The two athletes are competing for the gold medal.

(Definition of compete verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Synonyms and related words:

If a problem preys on your mind, you think about it and worry about it a lot

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