RIVAL
What does "RIVAL" mean?
A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or superiority.
Meanings
- One who competes with another for the same goal, prize, or status. The two chess prodigies were lifelong rivals.
- To match or equal in quality or extent. No sunset I have seen since can rival that one.
- Having the same aims or being in competition. Rival factions argued over the territory.
Did you know?
- A rival was originally a neighbour: the Latin 'rivalis' meant someone who drew water from the same stream ('rivus'), and disputes over that shared water gave us the modern sense of competition.
Word origin
From Latin 'rivalis', originally meaning one who shares the same stream ('rivus'), since neighbours using one watercourse often quarreled over it.
Remember it
RIVAL hides a RIVER (RIV-): two people fighting over the same stream of water - the word's literal origin.
A little poem
Two boats, one current, oars that strain and clash-
the river they both hate is what they share.
couplet
Wordplay
- Why did the two competitors share a water bottle? Deep down, every rival just wants the same stream.
What it teaches
Your fiercest rival usually wants the very thing you do - which means they understand you better than most.
Quick facts
What does RIVAL mean?
A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or superiority.
Is RIVAL a valid word?
Yes — RIVAL is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is RIVAL?
RIVAL has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does RIVAL come from?
From Latin 'rivalis', originally meaning one who shares the same stream ('rivus'), since neighbours using one watercourse often quarreled over it.
What can RIVAL teach us?
Your fiercest rival usually wants the very thing you do - which means they understand you better than most.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.