bout

play

noun \ ˈbau̇t \

Definition of bout

: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

See bout defined for English-language learners

See bout defined for kids

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 of bout from the Web

Alabama, meanwhile, has won four of the past eight national championships and lost to Clemson 35-31 in a classic championship bout in January.

— george richards, miamiherald, "Florida State Seminoles: Breaking down the 2017 season," 29 Aug. 2017
After all, this was one of the most precise tacticians in the history of the sport vs. a guy who had never fought in a professional boxing bout.

— jeff jacobs, courant.com, "Only Surprise, Mayweather-McGregor Was A Compelling Fight," 28 Aug. 2017
Although there were many empty seats amid the crowd of 14,623, the bout was expected to surpass the record earnings from Mayweather’s fight against Pacquiao.

— john eligon, New York Times, "Mayweather, a Defensive Mastermind, Beats McGregor With His Fists," 27 Aug. 2017
Despite fighting her second bout with cancer, Whitworth finds solace, purpose and direction in her art and encourages the creativity in everyone.

— laurie delk, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Artist brings modern edge to wood-centric creations," 18 Aug. 2017
Vargas missed a month this season with a pair of blisters and a nasty bout of chicken pox, which affected his consistency.

— paul johnson, Naperville Sun, "Cougars' Emilio Vargas cuts teammates' hair, cuts down opposing hitters," 27 July 2017
The violence peaked in the early 2000s, and eventually fell to a tenth of that level, but in a renewed bout since last year more than 400 people have died.

— The Economist, "Vale of darknessBuffeted by both India and Pakistan, it is the Kashmiris who suffer most," 20 July 2017
Additional bouts will be announced in the coming days.

— posted jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Combate Clasico MMA Miami streaming live on ESPN3," 19 July 2017
Well, half a year later, and Key has brought back Luther for a fresh bout of rage blackouts on The Late Show.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Keegan-Michael Key Translates What Obama Really Wanted to Say About Healthcare," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bout

English dialect, a trip going and returning in plowing, from Middle English bought bend

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1575

See Words from the same year

bout Synonyms

Synonyms

game, competition, contest, event, match, matchup, meet, sweepstakes (also sweep-stake), tournament, tourney

Related Words

athletics, sport; battle, conflict, scrimmage, skirmish, struggle, tug-of-war, tussle; championship, national (s); final, nightcap, play-off, semifinal; derby, field day, gymkhana, open, outing; biathlon, decathlon, heptathlon, pentathlon, triathlon; marathon, race, ultramarathon; heat, round, run, set; rally, volley; round-robin, rubber, runoff, sudden death; dead heat, photo finish, seesaw; classic

Near Antonyms

arrest, relief, remission

BOUT Defined for English Language Learners

bout

play

noun

Definition of bout for English Language Learners

: a period of time during which someone suffers from something (such as an illness or disease)
: a short period of time during which something is done or happening
: a wrestling or boxing contest