Vyings

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To engage in a contest or competition for dominance or superiority
2. To strive in rivalry with others for a goal or achievement
3. To exert effort to attain a position or status through competition or contest

Etymology: "Vyings" is simply the third-person singular form of "vie," so it describes someone who is competing against rivals, as in "she vyings with three others for the prize." Its history is that of the base verb, and it follows the usual English pattern for verbs ending in a consonant plus "y," where the "y" changes to "i" before "-es" is added. The verb "vie" is the word that carries the history, and its story is one of meaning rather than of spelling. The word is a shortened form of "envie," an older English verb meaning to challenge or to emulate, which itself came from Old French "envier," to invite or to challenge. The sense of rivalry and offering a challenge gradually narrowed into the modern idea of striving to outdo another person.

Synonyms: competing, striving, contending, racing, battling

Antonyms: yielding, surrendering, relinquishing, withdrawing, retreating