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

And in 2023, Gane could not compete with Jon Jones, who easily took him down and submitted him only minutes into the bout. —Brett Appley, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Kings continue their home-stand The Kings play their second of back-to-back home games with a regular season bout against the Los Angeles Lakers, welcoming Luka Doncic and company to town for the 2025-26 season. —Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Four years after she was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Christiane Amanpour is optimistic about her latest bout with the disease. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025

This bout features four women who have made significant names for themselves across various promotions. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 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