Adjacent Words

Contend definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONTEND, v.i. [L., to stretch. Gr., See Tend, Tenet.]
1. To strive, or to strive against; to struggle in opposition.
Distress not the Moabites, nor contend with them in battle. Deutoronomy 2.
2. To strive; to use earnest efforts to obtain, or to defend and preserve.
You sit above, and see vain men below contend for what you only can bestow.
Ye should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Jude 3.
3. To dispute earnestly; to strive in debate.
They that were of the circumcision contended with him. Acts 11. Job 9.
4. To reprove sharply; to chide; to strive to convince and reclaim.
Then contended I with the rulers. Nehemiah 13.
5.To strive in opposition; to punish.
The Lord God called to contend by fire. Amos 7.
6. To quarrel; to dispute fiercely; to wrangle. The parties contend about trifles.
To contend for, to strive to obtain; as, two competitors contend for the prize.
CONTEND, v.t. To dispute; to contest.
When Carthage shall contend the world with Rome.
This transitive use of contend is not strictly legitimate. The phrase is elliptical, for being understood after contend; but it is admissible in poetry.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: maintain or assert; "He contended that Communism had no future" [syn: contend, postulate]
2: have an argument about something [syn: argue, contend, debate, fence]
3: to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation; "They contested the outcome of the race" [syn: contest, contend, repugn]
4: come to terms with; "We got by on just a gallon of gas"; "They made do on half a loaf of bread every day" [syn: cope, get by, make out, make do, contend, grapple, deal, manage]
5: compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others [syn: compete, vie, contend]
6: be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; "the tribesmen fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"; "Militant groups are contending for control of the country" [syn: contend, fight, struggle]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French contendre, from Latin contendere, from com- + tendere to stretch — more at thin Date: 15th century intransitive verb 1. to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties ; struggle 2. to strive in debate ; argue transitive verb 1. maintain, assert <contended that he was right> 2. to struggle for ; contest

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 intr. (usu. foll. by with) strive, fight. 2 intr. compete (contending emotions). 3 tr. (usu. foll. by that + clause) assert, maintain. Derivatives: contender n. Etymology: OF contendre or L contendere (as com-, tendere tent- stretch, strive)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contend 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. For never two such kingdoms did contend Without much fall of blood. --Shak. The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle. --Deut. ii. 9. In ambitious strength I did Contend against thy valor. --Shak. 2. To struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend. You sit above, and see vain men below Contend for what you only can bestow. --Dryden. 3. To strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue. The question which our author would contend for. --Locke. Many things he fiercely contended about were trivial. --Dr. H. More. Syn: To struggle; fight; combat; vie; strive; oppose; emulate; contest; litigate; dispute; debate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contend Con*tend", v. t. To struggle for; to contest. [R.] Carthage shall contend the world with Rome.Dryden.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(contends, contending, contended) 1. If you have to contend with a problem or difficulty, you have to deal with it or overcome it. It is time, once again, to contend with racism... American businesses could soon have a new kind of lawsuit to contend with. VERB: V with n, V with n 2. If you contend that something is true, you state or argue that it is true. (FORMAL) The government contends that he is fundamentalist... VERB: V that 3. If you contend with someone for something such as power, you compete with them to try to get it. ...the two main groups contending for power. ...with 10 UK construction yards contending with rivals from Norway, Holland, Italy and Spain. ...a binding political settlement between the contending parties. V-RECIP: pl-n V for n, V with n, V-ing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. 1. Strive, struggle, combat, fight, vie. 2. Debate, dispute, argue, join issue. 3. Maintain, affirm, assert, claim.

Moby Thesaurus

affirm, agonize, allege, announce, annunciate, antagonize, argue, argufy, assert, assever, asseverate, aver, avouch, avow, bandy words, battle, beat against, beat up against, bicker, bicker over, box, brawl, breast the wave, broil, brook no denial, buck, buffet, buffet the waves, bump heads, cavil, charge, choplogic, claim, clash, close, close with, collide, combat, come to blows, compete with, confront, contend about, contend against, contest, contrapose, contraposit, contrast, cope with, counteract, cross swords, cut and thrust, declare, defend, dictate, discept, dispute, duel, encounter, enjoin, enunciate, exchange blows, express, face, fence, feud, fight, fight a duel, fight against, fight over, front, give and take, give satisfaction, grapple, grapple with, grunt and sweat, hassle, have, have it out, hold, huff and puff, insist, insist on, insist upon, issue a manifesto, join battle with, join issue, jostle, joust, justify, labor against, lay down, lie opposite, lock horns, logomachize, maintain, manifesto, match, meet, meet head-on, militate against, mix it up, moot, offer resistance, oppose, oppugn, persist, pettifog, plead, polarize, polemicize, polemize, pose against, predicate, prescribe, press, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, put, put in opposition, put it, quarrel, quarrel over, quibble, rassle, reluct, reluctate, report, resist, riot, rival, run a tilt, say, scramble, scuffle, set down, set over against, skirmish, spar, speak, speak out, speak up, squabble over, stand, stand for, stand on, stand opposed, stand opposite, state, stem the tide, stick to, strive, strive against, struggle, struggle against, submit, subtend, take issue with, take no denial, take on, take sides, tell, thrash out, thrust and parry, tilt, tourney, try conclusions, tug, tussle, urge, vie, vie with, vindicate, wage war, war, warrant, withstand, wrangle, wrangle over, wrestle