rival

A person, team, or business trying to win or get the same thing as another.

• He beat his closest rival.
• The two companies have been rivals for years.
• Who is her main rival for the title?

How to use it: rival for something (She is his main rival for the leadership.)

Similar words: competitor, opponent

Opposites: ally

Common phrases: main rival, political rival, rival for something

Someone or something as good or impressive as another.

• Her voice has no rival.
• This garden has few rivals for beauty.
• As a storyteller, he is without a rival.

How to use it: rival in something (The restaurant has few rivals in quality.)

Similar words: equal, match, peer

Common phrases: without a rival, have no rival, rival in something

Trying to win or get the same thing as another person or group.

• The rival teams met on Saturday.
• Two rival companies want to buy the factory.
• Police kept the rival groups of fans apart.

Similar words: competing

Common phrases: rival teams, rival companies, rival candidates

To be as good, impressive, or strong as something else, or even better.

• Her cooking rivals her mother’s.
• Few places can rival this valley for beauty.
• The small company now rivals much larger firms in quality.

How to use it: rival someone/something in something (The new model rivals its competitors in speed.)

Similar words: match, equal

Common phrases: rival someone’s skill, rival something in something, rival the best

To compete against someone for the same thing.

• The princes rivaled each other for power.
• Several merchants rivaled one another for the contract.
• He sought to rival his brother in winning public support.

How to use it: rival someone for something (Two nobles rivaled each other for the king’s favor.); rival someone in something (The brothers rivaled each other in their pursuit of power.)

Similar words: compete with, vie with

Common phrases: rival someone in something, rival someone for something