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

The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) later ruled the fight a no contest after Garcia failed a drug test related to the bout. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Frequent bouts of rheumatic fever left the kid’s heart so weakened that one childhood doctor predicted a lifespan of 16 years. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2025

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London will host a Riyadh Season bout between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, sons of rivals from the 1990s, and seen as British boxing’s biggest fight in several years. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025

Members of the organization gathered in Rome to pray for his recovery after he was hospitalized due to a bout of bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia, the American Jewish Committee said. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 22 Apr. 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