competition

Compared meaning: an event where people try to win (noun).

比较义项：以取胜为目的的竞赛活动（名词）。

• competition 本词

  The general, everyday word for a competitive event with many participants; used broadly for sports and talent events, implying open rivalry; collocates with 'enter', 'win', 'fierce'.

  泛指以取胜为目标的比赛活动，常用于体育、才艺等各类竞赛，暗示参赛者较多、竞争氛围明显，常与 enter（参加）、win（获胜）、fierce（激烈的）等词搭配。

  Thousands of runners signed up for the city's annual running competition.

  数千名跑步者报名参加了这座城市一年一度的跑步比赛。

• contest

  Stresses a formal event decided by judges or a vote rather than a plain score, e.g. 'beauty contest', 'essay contest'; also has a separate sense meaning a dispute (not compared here).

  强调由评委或投票裁定名次的正式比赛，而非单纯计分决出胜负，如 beauty contest（选美比赛）、essay contest（征文比赛）；contest 另有“争论、争执”之义，此处不作比较。

  She was crowned the winner of the town's annual beauty contest.

  她被加冕为该镇一年一度选美比赛的冠军。

Competition and contest both mean an event where people try to win. Competition is the general, everyday word, used for sports events. Contest stresses a formal event decided by judges or a vote, as in 'beauty contest.' Its other sense, a dispute, is not compared.

这两个词在此义项上都指以取胜为目标的竞赛活动，语气相近，很多场合可以互换；不同之处在于 competition 更泛指各类比赛、常暗示参赛者众多，而 contest 更强调由评委或投票裁定名次的正式比赛。这里不比较 contest 的“争论、争执”义。

Compared meaning: competing to be the best (noun).

比较义项：为争胜而进行的竞争、对抗（名词）。

• competition 本词

  General word for a contest or struggle to be the best; can involve many participants and often names an organized event, with a neutral or positive tone.

  泛指为争第一而进行的竞赛或斗争的通用词；可以有许多参与者，常指一场有组织的比赛，语气中性或带积极色彩。

  Thousands of runners took part in the marathon competition this year.

  今年有成千上万的跑者参加了这场马拉松比赛。

• rivalry

  Names a sustained, often intense state of opposition between two specific people or groups, implying history and strong feeling rather than a one-off contest.

  指两个特定的人或团体之间持续、往往很激烈的对抗关系，暗示有历史渊源和强烈情绪，而非一次性的比赛。

  Their rivalry began in college and turned bitter after graduation.

  他们的竞争关系始于大学时期，毕业后变得很激烈。

Competition and rivalry both mean a struggle to be the best. Competition is the general word for a contest, often with many participants, with a neutral tone. Rivalry names a sustained, intense opposition between two specific people or groups, implying history and strong feeling.

这两个词都表示“竞争”，但语气和范围不同：competition 泛指为争第一而进行的竞赛或竞争，可以有很多参与方，常指一场有组织的比赛；rivalry 强调两个（人或团体）之间长期、持续、往往带有情绪色彩的对抗关系。

Compared meaning: a person or group competing against another (noun).

比较义项：竞争对手（统称或个体）（名词）。

• competition 本词

  Competition is uncountable and collective here — it means all of one's rivals together (as in 'the competition'), never a single rival, and is not used with 'a'.

  在这个义项中，competition 是不可数的集合名词，指所有竞争对手的整体（如“the competition”），而不是某一个具体的对手，也不能加“a”使用。

  Our new pricing strategy left the competition scrambling to keep up.

  我们新的定价策略让所有竞争对手都手忙脚乱，难以跟上。

• competitor

  Competitor is a countable noun for one specific company or person that competes against you — the word to use when naming a single rival, unlike the collective 'competition'.

  competitor 是可数名词，指某一个具体的、与你竞争的公司或个人；要指某一个具体的对手时应该用这个词，而不是表示整体的 competition。

  A new competitor entered the market last month with lower prices.

  上个月有一个新的竞争者以更低的价格进入了市场。

• rival

  Rival stresses an ongoing, often personal or historic opposition, and is commonly used for sports teams, classmates, or businesses long known for competing with each other.

  rival 强调一种持续存在、常带有个人色彩或历史渊源的对抗关系，常用来形容体育队伍、同学，或长期彼此竞争的企业。

  The two schools have been fierce rivals in basketball for decades.

  这两所学校在篮球方面几十年来一直是激烈的竞争对手。

• contender

  Contender highlights someone actively competing for a specific prize, title, or position, especially when they have a genuine chance of winning, common in contests, sports, and elections.

  contender 突出的是某人正在争夺某个具体的奖项、头衔或职位，尤其是指真正有获胜机会的参与者，常用于比赛、体育和选举等场合。

  With three strong performances, she became a serious contender for the championship.

  凭借三次出色的表现，她成为了争夺冠军的有力竞争者。

Competition, competitor, rival, and contender can all mean someone competing against you, but their use differs. Competition is uncountable, meaning all rivals. Competitor is countable, one specific rival. Rival stresses long, personal opposition, as in sports. Contender means someone with a real chance of winning.

这几个词都可以表示“竞争对手”，但用法不同：competition 是不可数的集合名词，指所有竞争对手的整体（如“the competition”），不能用来指某一个具体对手；competitor 是可数名词，指某一个具体的竞争对手（人或公司）；rival 强调长期或带有个人色彩的对抗关系，常用于运动队、同学或长期竞争的企业；contender 特指在某项比赛、头衔或职位的争夺中有真正获胜机会的参与者。这里不比较 competition 表示“比赛项目”（如 singing competition）的义项。