competitive
- 1Having to do with rivals trying to win or do better than one another.
Like the part of a game where you keep score to see who wins.
Competitive games can be fun even when you lose.
He joined a competitive swimming club this year.
Note
- 2Good enough to do well against others.
Like a runner who is fast enough to keep up with the leaders.
He works hard to stay competitive with the best players.
Our small bakery is still competitive against the big chains.
UsageOften stay competitive, or competitive with other people or companies.
Similarviable
Oppositeuncompetitive
Note
- 3Strongly wanting to win or do better than other people.
Like a runner who always wants to finish first in every race.
My sister is so competitive that she hates losing any game.
He gets very competitive whenever we race to the corner.
UsageSay competitive about something, like grades or games.
Similarambitious, driven, aggressive
Oppositeunambitious, cooperative
- 4Good compared with other offers: low when it is a price, high when it is pay.
This laptop has a competitive price for such good quality.
The store keeps its prices competitive to bring in more buyers.
UsageUsed about prices and rates. It sounds nicer than cheap.
Similaraffordable, reasonable, low, inexpensive, economical
Oppositeexpensive, exorbitant, overpriced
Note
Less common meaning
- 5Used when one chemical stops another from working, usually by taking the spot where the other one would stick.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of competitive apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From a Latin word competere, plus the ending -ive.
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- Competitive derives from Latin competere, through its past participle, with the ending -ive. en.wiktionary.org