bout

noun

ˈbau̇t 

: a spell or period of activity: such as

a

: an athletic match (as of boxing)

lost his bout with the champion

b

: outbreak, attack

a bout of pneumonia

frequent bouts of depression

survived her bout with cancer

c

: session

a drinking bout

a bout of unemployment

Synonyms

• competition
• contest
• event
• game
• match
• matchup
• meet
• sweepstakes
• sweep-stake
• tournament
• tourney

Examples of bout in a Sentence

undoubtedly the team's best wrestler, he hasn't lost a bout yet

she's currently suffering from a bout of the flu

Recent Examples on the Web

Millions of people across the central U.S. on Tuesday braced for dangerous bout of severe weather this week following a deadly cross-country storm that's left hundreds of thousands of homes and business without power in the Midwest. —Christopher Cann, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025

For decades, Argentina has endured bouts of hyper inflation and two years ago the annual rate stood at a battering 211 percent. —David Segal, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Playoffs are set to begin on June 1 with the title bout slated for Monday, June 9. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025

Smith had a long bout with an autoimmune disease and died in Walnut Creek, Calif. Smith was born Sept. 4, 1958, as Lisa Jane Smith, in Florida and grew up in California. —Abigail Lee, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

English dialect, a trip going and returning in plowing, from Middle English bought bend

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bout

• clout
• doubt
• drought
• flout
• gout
• grout
• kraut
• lout
• out
• pout
• rout
• scout

Kids Definition

bout

noun

ˈbau̇t 

1

: a spell of activity

nonstop bout of reading

2

: an athletic match

wrestling bout

3

: attack entry 2 sense 3

a bout of measles