| Main Entry: | contender |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | competitor |
| Synonyms: | adversary, challenger, competition, contestant, opponent, rival |
| Main Entry: | antagonist |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person causing problem |
| Synonyms: | adversary, angries, bad person, bandit*, competitor, contender, crip, enemy, foe, match, opponent, opposer, opposite number, oppugnant, rival |
| Notes: | protagonist is Greek for 'first (important) actor' or 'first struggler' and by extension is used for a person who drives the action in a situation or is the main character in a literary work; the protagonist is the hero or heroine and an antagonist is his/her principal opponent |
| Antonyms: | ally, protagonist, supporter |
| Main Entry: | athlete |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person involved in sports |
| Synonyms: | amateur, animal, challenger, competitor, contender, contestant, games player, gorilla, iron person, jock, jockey, muscle person, player, professional, shoulders, sport, sportsperson, superjock |
| Main Entry: | candidate |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person desiring political office, job |
| Synonyms: | applicant, aspirant, bidder, claimant, competitor, contender, contestant, dark horse, entrant, favorite son, handshaker, hopeful*, job-hunter, nominee, office-seeker, petitioner, possibility, possible choice, pothunter, runner, seeker, solicitant, stumper, successor, suitor, whistle-stopper, write-in |
| Main Entry: | combatant |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | fighter |
| Synonyms: | adversary, antagonist, assailant, attacker, battler, belligerent, contender, enemy, foe, serviceman, soldier, warrior |
| Main Entry: | contestant |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | competitor |
| Synonyms: | adversary, antagonist, aspirant, battler, candidate, challenger, combatant, contender, contester, dark horse, disputant, entrant, favorite, hopeful, member, participant, player, rival, scrapper, team member, warrior |
| Main Entry: | enemy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | someone hated or competed against |
| Synonyms: | adversary, agent, antagonist, archenemy, asperser, assailant, assassin, attacker, backbiter, bad person, bandit, betrayer, calumniator, competitor, contender, criminal, defamer, defiler, detractor, disputant, emulator, falsifier, fifth column, foe, guerrilla, informer, inquisitor, invader, murderer, opponent, opposition, other side, prosecutor, rebel, revolutionary, rival, saboteur, seditionist, slanderer, spy, terrorist, traducer, traitor, vilifier, villain |
| Antonyms: | aide, ally, assistant, confidante, friend, helper |
| Main Entry: | fighter |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person engaged in hostile encounter |
| Synonyms: | GI, aggressor, antagonist, assailant, battler, belligerent, boxer, brawler, bruiser, bully, champion, combatant, competitor, contender, contestant, disputant, duelist, gladiator, heavy*, jouster, mercenary, militant, opponent, person-at-arms, pugilist, punching bag, rival, scrapper, serviceperson, slugger, soldier, tanker, warlord, warrior, wildcat |
| Antonyms: | peacemaker |
| Main Entry: | gladiator |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | combatant |
| Synonyms: | boxer, contender, fighter |
| Main Entry: | nominee |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | candidate |
| Synonyms: | applicant, appointee, aspirant, contender, contestant, entrant, hopeful*, office-seeker, runner, seeker |