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

• competition
• contest
• event
• game
• match
• matchup
• meet
• sweepstakes
• sweep-stake
• tournament
• tourney

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

Esparza won that December 2014 bout by submission, claiming the inaugural 115-pound title. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025

The final bout saw AI Strategist return to the ring against Energy Guardian. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2025

Before the uptick, consumer sentiment had fallen near its lowest level since a bout of inflation three years ago. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 13 June 2025

Affirm’s stock has been on a wild ride this year, halving between mid-February and early April, then staging a strong enough rally to rise above January’s level, in bouts of market volatility that have deterred many companies from listing. —Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 13 June 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