Word
contender
Meanings
a person or team with a strong chance of winning a competition or title
a person who is seriously competing for an important position or prize (such as an election or an award)
a thing that is considered a strong candidate among several options
Definition
A contender is a person, team, or thing that has a realistic chance of winning a competition or achieving a top position.
A contender is someone or something that competes seriously and is considered likely to succeed. The word is most often used in sports, politics, awards, and other competitive situations. It suggests stronger prospects than an ordinary participant, but not a guaranteed winner.
Examples
- She quickly emerged as a serious contender for the leadership role after her strong performance in the interviews.
- They were widely viewed as a contender for the championship, even though they had rebuilt the team only months earlier.
- I never expected to be a contender for the prize until my mentor encouraged me to submit my work.
- The newcomer became a contender overnight when his proposal solved a problem everyone else had overlooked.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "contender" with "contestant"—a contender is likely to win, while a contestant is simply someone who takes part.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More nouns
- fascism Fascism is an extreme right-wing political system with a powerful dictator, strong nationalism, and…
- gaslighting Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that makes someone doubt their own memory, judg…
- narcissist A narcissist is someone who is excessively self-centered and craves admiration while showing little…
- empathy Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings.
- metaphor A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else to create a clear image …