vie

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /vaɪ/ UK /vaɪ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like why /v/ vs /w/ Sounds like by /v/ vs /b/

Meanings

1

verb
to compete eagerly in order to gain something

Dozens of startups vie for the same handful of investors.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to compete eagerly in order... compete contend contest rival strive

Opposites

yield concede cooperate

Word family

Related forms invite envy

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

C'est la vie

Etymology

A shortening of Middle English 'envie', from Old French 'envier' ('to challenge, wager'), from Latin 'invitare' ('to invite, challenge'). Originally a gambling term meaning to stake or bid.

envier Old French invitare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# vie

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /vaɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /vaɪ/

## Meanings
1. to compete eagerly in order to gain something

## Examples
- Dozens of startups vie for the same handful of investors.

## Synonyms
- compete
- contend
- contest
- rival
- strive

## Antonyms
- yield
- concede
- cooperate

## Related Forms
- invite
- envy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: envier
- Root: invitare

## Etymology
A shortening of Middle English 'envie', from Old French 'envier' ('to challenge, wager'), from Latin 'invitare' ('to invite, challenge'). Originally a gambling term meaning to stake or bid.

## AI Etymology
Vie is a shortening of Middle English 'envie', from Old French 'envier' ('to challenge, wager'), from Latin 'invitare' ('to invite, challenge'). Originally a gambling term meaning to stake or bid. In current use it is a verb meaning "to compete eagerly in order to gain something". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. The historical chain includes Old French envier and Latin invitare. Related English forms include invite and envy. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown

vie