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

Nine schools in Palm Beach County, including West Boca High, will be closed Wednesday after bouts of heavy rain over the past few days led to flash flooding in some areas. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Before the Falcons board their plane Tuesday afternoon and fly to Madrid for a Week 9 bout with the Cincinnati Bengals, here are five fast thoughts on Atlanta’s third loss in its last four games. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 3 Nov. 2026

The researchers found these REM-like bouts averaged roughly 83 seconds across a selection of ten test spiders. — New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026

Earnings this quarter revealed new levels of strain on those core businesses and offered an early test of whether these companies can sustain extended bouts of spending. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 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