List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 334

SYNONYMS: rival, compete, vie, emulate.
These verbs mean to seek to equal or surpass another.

Rival is the most general: His ambition led him to rival the career his friend.
To compete is to contend with another or others to attain a goal, as gaining an advantage, victory in a contest, or a prize: Local hardware stores can't compete with discount outlets. She must learn to compete with others.
Vie, often interchangeable with compete, sometimes stresses the challenge implicit in rivalry: No mortal could vie with Mao.
Emulate connotes imitation in an effort to match or outdo another: The whole world tries to emulate Paris.