Synonyms for challenge
- verb
- noun
Most common
Definitions
- v. 1
To invite (someone) to take part in a competition.
We challenged the boys next door to a game of football.
- n. 1
A confrontation; a dare. An antagonization or instigation intended to convince a person to perform an action they otherwise would not.
Related words
- Word family
- challenged challenger challenging
Forms
- Plural
- challenges → tests, dares, defies, objections…
- Past participle
- challenged
e.g. challenged → claimed, questioned, disputed, asked…
Example sentences
- question To my surprise, she could not answer the question.
- problem It is said that nobody has solved the problem yet.
- confront I think it's time for me to confront that problem.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| challenge | rising | |
| question | falling | |
| problem | falling | |
| confront | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- ask1
- 4 letters
- call1, test1, dare1, defy2, gage1
- 5 letters
- claim1, brave1, beard1, stump1
- 6 letters
- demand2, invite2, summon2, impugn2, becall
- 7 letters
- problem2, require3, dispute2, provoke2, gainsay2
- 8 letters
- question2, confront2, defiance3
- 9 letters
- exception3, objection3
- 11 letters
- expostulate
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (defy2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- défier
- Español
- desafiar
- Deutsch
- widersetzen