Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense rivals, present participle rivalling, past tense, past participle rivalledregional note: in AM, use rivaling, rivaled
1. countable noun
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
The world champion finished more than two seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
He eliminated his rivals in a brutal struggle for power.
The police believe the fight was due to a dispute between rival teenage gangs.
Synonyms: opponent, competitor, contender, challenger More Synonyms of rival
2. countable noun
If you say that someone or something has norivals or is withoutrival, you mean that it is the best of its type.
As a time-honoured team contest, the Test match has no rival.
He is a pastry chef without rival.
Synonyms: equal, match, fellow [old-fashioned], equivalent More Synonyms of rival
3. verb
If you say that one thing rivals another, you mean that they are both of the same standard or quality.
London cannot rival the lifestyle and weather of Barcelona or Madrid. [VERB noun]
Many essential oils have antimicrobial properties to rival those of conventionalantibiotics. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: compete with, match, equal, oppose More Synonyms of rival
More Synonyms of rival
rival in British English
(ˈraɪvəl)
noun
1.
a.
a person, organization, team, etc, that competes with another for the same object or in the same field
b.
(as modifier)
rival suitors
a rival company
2.
a person or thing that is considered the equal of another or others
she is without rival in the field of economics
verbWord forms: -vals, -valling, -valledWord forms: US-vals, -valing or -valed(transitive)
3.
to be the equal or near equal of
an empire that rivalled Rome
4.
to try to equal or surpass; compete with in rivalry
Word origin
C16: from Latin rīvalis, literally: one who shares the same brook, from rīvus a brook
rival in American English
(ˈraɪvəl)
noun
1.
a person who tries to get or do the same thing as another, or to equal or surpass another; competitor
2.
a person or thing that can equal or surpass another in some way; person or thingthat can bear comparison
plastics and other rivals of many metals
3. Obsolete
an associate or companion in some duty
adjective
4.
acting as a rival; competing
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈrivaled or ˈrivalled, ˈrivaling or ˈrivalling
5.
to try to equal or surpass; compete with
6.
to equal in some way; be a match for
verb intransitive
7. Archaic
to be a rival; compete (with)
Word origin
Fr < L rivalis, orig., one living near or using the same stream as another < rivus, brook < IE *reie-, to flow < base *er-: see rise
COBUILD Collocations
rival
acquire a rival
beat a rival
cheaper rival
city rival
deadly rival
direct rival
fierce rival
jealous rival
large rival
local rival
love rival
nearest rival
promotion rivals
real rival
title rival
undercut rivals
Examples of 'rival' in a sentence
rival
The company has rivals in this complex business.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
All this has ramped up the interest in betting on the rival teams.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's a long way ahead of its rivals.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
That is what their 11 rivals may be wishing.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One by one, his rivals sped past until he found himself trundling behind in eighth.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
If you see a rising star at a rival company, should you attempt to poach that person and their skills for any price?
Computing (2010)
Arsenal's top-flight rivals may also be interested in what they have done this week.
The Sun (2016)
That is partly because they struggle to compete with rivals in India and China that spend less on wages.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The two leading natural historians of the period were intellectual competitors representing rival views of natural history.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
And he is now set for another defence before a summer showdown with a rival world champion.
The Sun (2012)
It was the moment their only real rival for power was exposed as a spectacular fraud.
The Sun (2014)
We may be rivals but many are also friends.
The Sun (2006)
The company likes to keep a low profile and let rival companies take the flak.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This would leave the field to a rival consortium.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Washington did not neglect the opportunity to discredit another potential rival.
Hugh Bicheno REBELS AND REDCOATS: The American Revolutionary War (2003)
Second was the systematic doping of his team by the rivals.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Oil company rivals may seek to buy it as a prelude to a bid.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We are not going to pretend this car boasts a ride quality to rival others on this list.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The last thing they want is for their business partners and rivals to pore over pictures of their naked wife.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The board has been concerned that loading the company up with debt would hit its ability to compete with rivals.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It may lack the turbo charge and outright power of its rivals but it delivers a fast and furious ride.
The Sun (2007)
In the semi-final they had allowed their rivals to pull ahead before reeling them in.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The rivals are due to meet at the Etihad three games from the end of the season.
The Sun (2011)
Instead, she has picked off her potential rivals one by one.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
If rivals have moved ahead, how to catch them and overtake?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But they cannot begin to rival the champions' mental and physical resolve.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
If we worked as hard as our rivals, no one would beat us.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The number of transactions processed by a substantial player on any given day rivals the business going through a respectable local stock exchange.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Instead, he has had to work his way through a field of rivals.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The ferocious competition for medals, records and honour has already sparked spats between tense competitors and rival nations.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
rival
British English: rival /ˈraɪvl/ ADJECTIVE
Rival groups are groups of people that compete against each other.
...a dispute between rival teenage gangs.
American English: rival
Arabic: مُنَافِس
Brazilian Portuguese: rival
Chinese: 对手的
Croatian: suparnički
Czech: konkurenční
Danish: rivaliserende
Dutch: rivaliserend
European Spanish: rival
Finnish: kilpaileva
French: rival
German: konkurrierend
Greek: ανταγωνιστικός
Italian: rivale
Japanese: 競争する
Korean: 경쟁하는
Norwegian: konkurrerende
Polish: rywalizujący
European Portuguese: rival
Romanian: rival
Russian: соперничающий
Latin American Spanish: rival
Swedish: rivaliserande
Thai: ที่เป็นคู่แข่งกัน
Turkish: rakip
Ukrainian: що конкурує
Vietnamese: cạnh tranh
British English: rival /ˈraɪvl/ NOUN
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
The world champion finished more than two seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
American English: rival
Arabic: مُنَافِس
Brazilian Portuguese: rival
Chinese: 对手
Croatian: suparnik
Czech: soupeř
Danish: rival
Dutch: rivaal
European Spanish: rival
Finnish: kilpailija vastustaja
French: rival
German: Rivale
Greek: ανταγωνιστής
Italian: rivale
Japanese: 競争相手
Korean: 경쟁 상대
Norwegian: rival
Polish: rywal
European Portuguese: rival
Romanian: rival
Russian: соперник
Latin American Spanish: rival
Swedish: rival
Thai: คู่แข่ง
Turkish: rakip
Ukrainian: суперник
Vietnamese: đối thủ
British English: rival VERB
If you say that one thing rivals another, you mean that they are both of the same standard or quality.
Cassette recorders cannot rival the sound quality of CDs.
American English: rival
Brazilian Portuguese: competir com
Chinese: 与…相匹敌
European Spanish: competir con
French: égaler
German: konkurrieren mit
Italian: rivaleggiare con
Japanese: 張り合う
Korean: 필적하다
European Portuguese: competir com
Latin American Spanish: competir con
All related terms of 'rival'
city rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
large rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
local rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
love rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
real rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
rival camps
You can refer to a group of people who all support a particular person, policy , or idea as a particular camp .
rival club
A club is a team which competes in sporting competitions .
title rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
cheaper rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
deadly rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
direct rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
fierce rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
jealous rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
nearest rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
beat a rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
rival factions
A faction is an organized group of people within a larger group, which opposes some of the ideas of the larger group and fights for its own ideas.
acquire a rival
Your rival is a person, business, or organization who you are competing or fighting against in the same area or for the same things.
Chinese translation of 'rival'
rival
(ˈraɪvl)
n(c)
(in competition, election, business) 竞(競)争(爭)对(對)手 (jìngzhēng duìshǒu) (个(個), gè)
(in love) 情敌(敵) (qíngdí) (个(個), gè)
adj
[firm, newspaper etc]竞(競)争(爭)的 (jìngzhēng de)
[teams, groups, supporters]对(對)立的 (duìlì de)
vt
(= match) 与(與) ... 匹敌(敵) (yǔ ... pǐdí)
1 (noun)
Definition
a person or group that competes with another for the same object or in the same field
He finished two seconds ahead of his rival.
Synonyms
opponent
Mrs Kennedy's opponent in the leadership contest
competitor
The bank isn't performing as well as some of its competitors.
contender
Her trainer said yesterday that she would be a strong contender for a place in the British team.
challenger
contestant
She was a former contestant in a television baking competition.
adversary
His political adversaries were creating trouble for him.
antagonist
He had never previously lost to his antagonist.
emulator
Opposites
friend
, ally,
supporter
,
helper
,
main man (slang, mainly US)
,
cobber (Australian, New Zealand, old-fashioned, informal)
2 (noun)
Definition
a person or thing that is considered the equal of another
He is a pastry chef without rival.
Synonyms
equal
She was one of them, their equal.
match
I was no match for a man with such power.
fellow (old-fashioned)
He stood out from all his fellows at work.
equivalent
RTE, the Irish equivalent of the BBC
peer
Her personality made her popular with her peers.
compeer
(verb)
Definition
to try to equal or surpass
London cannot rival the glamour of Barcelona or Madrid.
Synonyms
compete with
match
We matched them in every department of the game.
equal
The victory equalled Scotland's best in history.
oppose
compare with
contend
come up to
emulate
vie with
measure up to
be a match for
bear comparison with
seek to displace
(modifier)
Definition
in the position of a rival
It would be no use having two rival companies.
Synonyms
competing
conflicting
opposed
opposing
competitive
emulating
Seeenemy
Synonyms of 'rival'
rival
Explore 'rival' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of contender
Her trainer said yesterday that she would be a strong contender for a place in the British team.
Synonyms
competitor,
rival,
candidate,
applicant,
hopeful,
vier,
contestant,
aspirant
in the sense of contestant
Definition
a person who takes part in a contest
She was a former contestant in a television baking competition.
Synonyms
competitor,
candidate,
participant,
contender,
entrant,
player,
aspirant
in the sense of equivalent
Definition
something that has the same use or function as something else
RTE, the Irish equivalent of the BBC
Synonyms
equal,
counterpart,
correspondent,
twin,
peer,
parallel,
match,
opposite number
in the sense of fellow
Definition
a comrade or associate
He stood out from all his fellows at work.
Synonyms
associate,
colleague,
peer,
co-worker,
member,
friend,
partner,
equal,
companion,
comrade,
crony,
compeer
in the sense of match
Definition
a person or thing able to provide competition for another
I was no match for a man with such power.
Synonyms
equal,
rival,
equivalent,
peer,
competitor,
counterpart
in the sense of match
Definition
to resemble, harmonize with, or equal one another or something else
We matched them in every department of the game.
Synonyms
rival,
equal,
compete with,
compare with,
emulate,
contend with,
measure up to
in the sense of peer
Definition
a person of equal social standing, rank, age, etc.