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

This year with the Thunder, Caruso has appeared in 19 bouts so far, all off the bench. —Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024

Usyk was far from ineffective in the middle of the bout. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

The Beach Boys are always ideal during any bout of nostalgia, and there's no time better than the Christmas season to enjoy exactly that. —Stephanie Kaloi and James Mercadante, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024

Ford, in what only can be described a bout of corporate madness, kept them. —Jeremy White, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2024

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

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