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

The Beasley-Stephenson bout is the curveball, pitting two former NBA players against each other in the cage and giving the card a second recognizable hook beyond the Manziel headliner. —Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

This conflict, although serious, has not prevented the president from engaging in activities such as marathon social-media-posting sessions, regular golf outings, and an event two weeks ago to promote a future UFC bout at the White House. —Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026

The 39-year-old Rousey, performing in a mixed martial arts cage for the first time in nearly a decade, defeated the 44-year-old Carano with her signature armbar move just 17 seconds into the bout. —ABC News, 20 May 2026

One of the symptoms of her condition is lung congestion, which leads to periodic bouts of coughing. —Tom Levenson, Time, 20 May 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