contend

  • 1Contend — Con*tend , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Contended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Contending}.] [OF. contendre, L. contendere, tentum; con + tendere to strech. See {Tend}.] 1. To strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight. [1913… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2contend — 1 Contend, fight, battle, war come into comparison when they mean to strive in opposition to someone or something. Contend, the most general of these words, always implies a desire or an effort to overcome that which is opposed, but it may imply… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 3contend — ► VERB 1) (contend with/against) struggle to deal with (a difficulty). 2) (contend for) engage in a struggle or campaign to achieve. 3) assert as a position in an argument. DERIVATIVES contender noun. ORIGIN …

    English terms dictionary

  • 4contend — [kən tend′] vi. [ME contenden, to compete < L contendere, to stretch out, strive after < com , together + tendere, to stretch: see TENSE1] 1. to strive in combat; fight 2. to strive in competition; vie [contend for a prize] 3. to strive in… …

    English World dictionary

  • 5Contend — Con*tend , v. t. To struggle for; to contest. [R.] [1913 Webster] Carthage shall contend the world with Rome.Dryden. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 6contend — [v1] compete, fight argue, battle, clash, confront, contest, controvert, cope, dispute, emulate, encounter, face, give all one’s got*, give one’s all*, go after, go for, go for broke*, go for it*, go for jugular*, grapple, have at*, jockey for… …

    New thesaurus

  • 7contend — I (dispute) verb altercate, argue, battle, be discordant, bicker, brawl, carry on an argument, challenge, clash, combat, compete, conflict, contendere, contest, contradict, decernere, differ, disaccord, disagree, discept, discord, dissent,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 8contend — mid 15c., from O.Fr. contendre, from L. contendere to stretch out, strive after, from com , intensive prefix (see COM (Cf. com )), + tendere to stretch (see TENET (Cf. tenet)). Related: Contended; contending …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 9contend — 01. The runners had to [contend] with a strong headwind in the final of the 10,000 meters. 02. If Canada goes ahead with plans to loosen its drug laws, it will have to [contend] with a very unhappy American government. 03. The government… …

    Grammatical examples in English

  • 10contend — con|tend [kənˈtend] v [Date: 1400 1500; : Old French; Origin: contendre, from Latin contendere, from com ( COM ) + tendere to stretch ] 1.) to compete against someone in order to gain something contend for ▪ Three armed groups are contending for… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English