Ri·val, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rivaled or Rivalled; p. pr. & vb. n. Rivaling or Rivalling.]
1. To stand in competition with; to strive to gain some object in opposition to; as, to rival one in love.
2. To strive to equal or exel; to emulate.
To rival thunder in its rapid course. --Dryden.
rival
n : the contestant you hope to defeat; "he had respect for his
rivals"; "he wanted to know what the competition was
doing" [syn: challenger, competitor, competition, contender]
v 1: be equal to in quality or ability; "Nothing can rival cotton
for durability"; "Your performance doesn't even touch
that of your colleagues"; "Her persistence and ambition
only matches that of her parents" [syn: equal, touch,
match]
2: be the rival of, be in competition with; "we are rivaling
for first place in the race"
[also: rivalling, rivalled]