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 of bout

• 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

Videos of the bouts have combined for more than 10 million views on YouTube. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

The Vegas residency was originally scheduled to begin last February but was repeatedly postponed as the singer battled the cancer and previous bouts of bronchitis. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026

But the majority of the country’s stormwater infrastructure was not built for heavier bouts of rain brought by a warming climate — and now experts are warning the ongoing super El Niño will further expose those risks across the nation. — Erin Douglas, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

But while her lids boasted bouts of shadow, her skin was kept bare. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026

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