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

Silver plunged 14%, continuing a recent bout of extraordinary volatility. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026

As semiconductor stocks undergo another bout of severe volatility, Bank of America Global Research has issued a sharp rebuke of prevailing market sentiment, labeling fears driving the current tech-sector selloff as logically impossible. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026

Jerome Powell, the Fed’s current chair, made a choice to avert a catastrophic economic crash during the COVID-19 pandemic, accepting the risk of a bout of inflation. —Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026

When his new management team in 2024 requested detail breakdowns for certain bouts, Showtime declined to produce them, according to the complaint. —Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 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