rival
gb/ɹˈaɪvəl/ us/ɹˈaɪvəl/
B1
English
~ 3200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
person or group in competition
A person or group that tries to win against another person or group.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s rival
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'rival' with 'enemy'. An enemy is someone who actively wishes you harm, while a rival simply competes with you.
Synonyms
competitor (More general and widely used in business and sports contexts; lacks the emotional connotation 'rival' can have.)
Antonyms
ally (An ally works together with you toward a common goal, the opposite of competing.)
Collocations
main rival
|bitter rival
|political rival
|business rival
|longtime rival
Themes
sports
|business
|competition
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The two companies have been fierce rivals for decades.
- She finally defeated her long-time rival in the championship match.
- Political rivals debated the policy on live television.
- Their school is our biggest rival in football.
- The artist saw him not just as a colleague but as a rival.
Learner examples
- He is my rival in the race.
- Our team will play against our rival.
- She wants to beat her rival in the game.
- That shop is a rival to ours.
Verb
B2
action
2
match or surpass in quality
To be as good as or better than someone or something else.
Usage pattern:
to rival [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'rival' (verb) with 'compete with'. 'Rival' focuses on being equal in quality, while 'compete with' focuses on trying to win.
Synonyms
match (Implies being equal to something, without necessarily surpassing it.)
Antonyms
fall short of (Means not reaching the same level of quality or achievement.)
Collocations
rival the best
|rival his skills
|rival the performance
Themes
comparison
|achievement
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her cooking rivals that of professional chefs.
- This smartphone rivals the most expensive models on the market.
- Nothing can rival the beauty of this sunset.
- His latest novel rivals his earlier masterpieces.
- The team's performance rivals any in the league.
Learner examples
- Her cake rivals the best in town.
- This phone rivals the top brand.
- No city rivals Paris for beauty.
- His work rivals hers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rival
IPA
GB/ɹˈaɪvəl/
US/ɹˈaɪvəl/
Syllables & stress
rival (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rival)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rival
- Plural: rivals
Verb
- Base: rival
- 3rd Person Singular: rivals
- Present Participle: rivaling, rivalling
- Past: rivaled, rivalled
Word family
Forms
rivals
noun
rivaling
verb
rivalling
verb
rivaled
verb
rivalled
verb
Core family
rivalry
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
unrivaled
adjective
Expressions
bitter rivals
1/bˈɪtɚ ɹˈaɪvəlz/
fixed phrase
competitors with strong hostility
People or groups who compete and dislike each other strongly.
Examples
- The two soccer clubs are bitter rivals.
- They became bitter rivals after the incident.
sworn rival
1/swˈɔɹn ɹˈaɪvəl/
fixed phrase
long-standing intense competitor
A person who has competed strongly against you for a long time.
Examples
- He met his sworn rival at the debate.
- The two scientists were sworn rivals in their field.
arch rival
1/ˈɑɹt͡ʃ ɹˈaɪvəl/
fixed phrase
main or strongest rival
A person or group that is your main competitor, especially over a long time.
Examples
- They will face their arch rival in tomorrow's final.
- The two companies have been arch rivals for decades.
- The superhero confronted his arch rival once again.
- Their team faces its arch rival in the final match.
- In the show, the magician and his arch rival try to outdo each other.