| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | opposing |
| Synonyms: | battling, combatant, combating, competing, competitive, conflicting, contending, contesting, cutthroat, disputing, emulating, emulous, equal, opposed, striving, vying |
| Antonyms: | assisting, associate, supporting |
| Main Entry: | rival |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | oppose; be a match for |
| Synonyms: | amount, approach, approximate, bear comparison with, come near to, come up to, compare with, compete, contend, contest, correspond, emulate, equal, go after, go for, jockey for position, match, measure up to, meet, near, partake, resemble, rivalize, scramble for, seek to displace, tie, touch, vie with |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, cooperate, help, support |
| Main Entry: | adversary |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | opponent |
| Synonyms: | antagonist, attacker, bad person, bandit, competitor, contestant, enemy, foe, match, opposer, opposite number, oppugner, rival |
| Antonyms: | ally, assistant, backer, friend, helper, helpmate, supporter |
| Main Entry: | amount |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | equal, add up to |
| Synonyms: | aggregate, approach, approximate, be equivalent to, be tantamount to, become, check with, come to, correspond, develop into, effect, extend, grow, match, mean, number, purport, reach, rival, sum, tally, total, touch |
| Notes: | use 'amount' with things that cannot be counted but 'number' with things that can be counted number is regularly used with count nouns, while amount is mainly used with mass nouns: number of mistakes, amount of money |
| 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: | bête noire |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | disliked person |
| Synonyms: | adversary, anathema, antagonist, bad news, bad news, bane, bitter enemy, bugbear, competitor, curse, devil, enemy, foe, opponent, pet hate, plague, rival, trouble |
| Main Entry: | come up to |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | meet expectations |
| Synonyms: | admit of comparison with, approach, arrive, bear comparison with, come near, compare with, equal, extend, get near, match, measure up to, rank with, reach, resemble, rival, stand comparison with |
| Main Entry: | compare |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | examine in contrast |
| Synonyms: | analyze, approach, balance, bracket, collate, confront, consider, contemplate, contrast, correlate, divide, equal, examine, hang, hold a candle to, inspect, juxtapose, match, match up, measure, observe, oppose, parallel, place in juxtaposition, ponder, rival, scan, scrutinize, segregate, separate, set against, set side by side, size up, stack up against, study, touch, weigh, weigh against another |
| Notes: | compare emphasizes the similarities between or among things, though not losing sight of the differences; contrast emphasizes the differences |
| Main Entry: | compete |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | go up against in contest |
| Synonyms: | attempt, bandy, battle, be in the running, bid, challenge, clash, collide, contend, contest, cope with, emulate, encounter, essay, face, fence, fight, go after, go for broke, go for the gold, go for, grapple, in the hunt, jockey for position, joust, lock horns, match strength, match wits, oppose, participate in, pit oneself against, play, rival, run for, scramble for, seek prize, spar, strive, struggle, take on, take part, tilt, try, tussle, vie, wrestle |