contend
/kənˈtɛnd
/verb
1 [no object] (contend with/against) Struggle to surmount (a difficulty): she had to contend with his uncertain temper...
- Otherwise, you can spend much of your precious vacation time contending with the difficulties mentioned above.
- Both had to contend with the disadvantage of their sex but they dealt with it in very different ways.
- Along with dangerous health struggles, Luna finds herself contending with the legacy of shame and secrecy that surround issues of sexuality in the Latino community.
Synonyms
cope with, face, grapple with, deal with, take on, pit oneself against;
resist, withstand
1.1 (contend for) Compete with others in a struggle to achieve (something): factions within the government were contending for the succession to the presidency...
- They provided me with the best opportunity to be a competitive racer, and I never would have contended for the championship without them.
- She plans to continue competing in pageants and hopes to contend for Miss Virginia again.
- Also contending for the Cup was the Moldovan with a Bulgarian passport, who was declared the most technical boxer of the tournament.
Synonyms
compete, challenge, vie, contest;
strive, struggle, tussle, grapple, wrestle, scuffle, squabble, skirmish, battle, combat, fight, war, wage war, join battle, cross swords, lock horns, go head to head;
oppose, clash
2 [with clause] Assert something as a position in an argument: he contends that the judge was wrong...
- He contends that the arguments for having a university in the town centre are false because there isn't room.
- However, he contends that the position in so far as his client is concerned is straightforward.
- As for his constituency neglect rebuke, Francis contends that his claims still stand.
Synonyms
assert, maintain, hold, claim, argue, profess, affirm, aver, avow, insist, state, declare, pronounce, allege, plead
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'compete for (something)'): from Old French contendre or Latin contendere, from con- 'with' + tendere 'stretch, strive'.