contend

verb

(intransitive) To be in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.

(intransitive) To be in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.

(intransitive) To struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.

(intransitive) To believe (something is reasonable) and argue (for it); to advocate.

To try to cope with a difficulty or problem. [with with]

Roots

tendo-tend · Latin · stretch

Synonyms for contend

arguev viev strugglen fightn contestn grapplev argufyv allegev wrestlev tusslen wranglen claimn quarreln insistv assertv

Synonyms & related words for contend

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of contend — including argue, vie, struggle, fight, contest, grapple. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to contend

Explore words related to contend — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include compete, repugn, debate, outargue, contention, postulate, vying, disputing. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for contend

Common synonyms for contend include argue, vie, struggle, fight, contest, grapple, argufy, allege — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does contend come from?

The word contend breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -tend, from Latin tendo (“stretch”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.