Vye

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To compete eagerly or strive against others to gain or win something
2. To attempt to outdo others in a contest or challenge by intense effort
3. Engaging in rivalry or competition to achieve a desired goal or prize

Etymology: "Vye" is an obsolete spelling of "vie," and the spelling change tells you something: English has always pronounced this word the same way, so writers simply picked whichever form looked right. "Vie" to compete against rivals comes from Anglo-Norman and Old French "envier," meaning to challenge or invite, which itself descends from Latin "invitare," to invite. The sense of inviting someone into a contest survives in the idea of challenging an opponent, so the modern meaning of striving against others grew out of a formal challenge. Strictly speaking, the "y" spelling is the older-looking one in the sense that it appeared in English texts before "vie" became standard, though the word itself has remained largely the same across centuries of use.

Synonyms: compete, contend, strive

Antonyms: yield, submit