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

The recent struggles for the company's U.S. business have stemmed in part from price-conscious customers fatigued by a yearslong bout of elevated prices that have strained household budgets. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 June 2024

In one bout in 1963, two Howard faculty members were in the crowd and noticed Dr. Hare in the ring. —Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 22 June 2024

The Greer family farm in Princeton, Indiana, got a late start to putting the soybeans in the ground because of a recent bout of heavy rain. —Alicia Wallace, CNN, 21 June 2024

During the reign of Britain’s King George III, who suffered bouts of mental illness, the play was thought to cut too close to the bone. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 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