contest

{{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}}

noun

ADJECTIVE

▪ close, equal (BrE), even, tight

▪ closely fought (esp. BrE), hard-fought

▪ one-sided, unequal (BrE)

▪

The contest was too one-sided to be exciting.

▪ open

▪

This contest is wide open: any of half a dozen teams could win it.

▪ fair

▪

The other bidders for the contract complained that it had not been a fair contest.

▪ exciting, good, great, real, thrilling

▪ bitter

▪ head-to-head

▪

The contestants are eliminated one by one until the last two compete in a head-to-head contest.

▪ global, international, local, national, regional

▪ election, electoral, gubernatorial (AmE), leadership (esp. BrE), political, presidential, primary

▪ beauty, popularity, song, talent

▪ athletic (esp. AmE), sporting (esp. BrE), sports (esp. AmE)

VERB + CONTEST

▪ have, hold, run

▪

We have three major beauty contests a year.

▪

Talent contests are held in the club.

▪ sponsor (AmE)

▪ compete in, enter, take part in

▪

A third candidate has entered the contest for the Republican nomination.

▪ lose, win

CONTEST + VERB

▪ take place

PREPOSITION

▪ during a/the contest

▪

During the election contest newspapers are not allowed to publish public opinion polls.

▪ in a/the contest

▪

Both sides are predicting victory in this close contest.

▪ out of a/the contest

▪

Jackson has injured his knee and is now out of the contest.

▪ contest against

▪

He won his opening contest against Costa of Argentina.

▪ contest between

▪

the contest between these two great boxers

▪ contest for

▪

the contest for the leadership of the party

▪ contest over

▪

In the animal kingdom intruders usually lose contests over territories.

▪ contest with

▪

The New Zealanders are looking forward to future contests with South Africa.

PHRASES

▪ a contest of skills (esp. AmE), a contest of strength

▪ be no contest (= used when one side in a contest is much stronger than the other and is sure to win)

▪ the winner of a contest

{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}

verb

1 in a competition

ADVERB

▪ bitterly, fiercely, hotly, keenly (esp. BrE)

▪

The election was bitterly contested.

▪ closely, tightly

▪ successfully

2 oppose

ADVERB

▪ fiercely, hotly, strongly, vigorously

▪

His views on evolution are strongly contested by other scientists.

▪ successfully

▪

Defence lawyers successfully contested the case.

Contest is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑party

Contest is used with these nouns as the object: ↑allegation, ↑divorce, ↑election, ↑final, ↑seat, ↑will