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

• tournament
• competition
• event
• game
• match
• contest

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 main card features a number of other fantastic matchups, including a middleweight bout between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov as well as a welterweight fight between Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025

In the headlining bout, BMF champ Max Holloway faces Dustin Poirier for the third time. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025

Before the swell of optimism, consumer sentiment had fallen to near its lowest level since a bout of inflation three years ago. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 July 2025

Rampant inflation would eat into corporate earnings, be a headwind for stocks and punish American consumers just as prices were beginning to level out after a bout of decades-high inflation. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 18 July 2025

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

Rhymes for bout

• clout
• doubt
• drought
• flout
• gout
• grout
• kraut
• lout
• out
• pout
• rout
• scout

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