German word

Rivale

Pronunciation

IPA/ʁiˈvaːlə/

Meaning

  • masculine nounrival

Example

Sie trifft ihren Rivalen im Park.

She meets her rival in the park.

Illustration for Rivale (rival)

More examples

Im Turnier musste sie gegen einen Rivalen antreten.

In the tournament, she had to compete against a rival.

Core concept

Two contenders stand on opposite sides of one goal, each trying to be the one who succeeds.

Common phrases

  • gegen einen Rivalen antreten

    compete against a rival

  • einen Rivalen schlagen

    defeat a rival

Similar words

Konkurrent: A competing person or business in the same field or market.
Gegner: A person standing in opposition to another's actions or beliefs.
Wettbewerber: A person or business competing in a contest or marketplace.
Feind: An enemy actively seeking to injure or damage others.

Definition in German

Rivale bezeichnet eine Person, die mit einer anderen um dasselbe Ziel oder dieselbe Anerkennung konkurriert.

Word origin

The German noun is borrowed from Latin rivālis, a term for people using the same stream, whose meaning developed into a competing person.

Usage tips

  • Rivale often suggests an established or personal rivalry, while Konkurrent is usually the more neutral word for a competitor.

Other meanings

  • competitornoun
  • opponentnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • Rivalitätrivalrynoun
  • rivalisierencompeteverb

Word lists with this word