contestant

noun

con·​tes·​tant kən-ˈte-stənt 

also ˈkän-ˌte-

1

: one that participates in a contest

2

: one that contests an award or decision

Synonyms of contestant

• competitor
• contender
• challenger
• rival

Examples of contestant in a Sentence

The contestant who catches the most fish wins.

The winning contestants will receive a cash prize.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some contestants, like Bear Bailey, a 34-year-old Southern R&B and country singer, were particularly hard to see go, the judges said. —Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

Plus, a blend of Mirrorball Champions and former contestants, Hannah Brown, Danielle Fishel, Xochitl Gomez, Joey Graziadei, Elaine Hendrix, Rashad Jennings, Amanda Kloots, Whitney Leavitt, Phaedra Parks, Jojo Siwa, Johnny Weir, Rumer Willis, Kristi Yamaguchi and Ginger Zee are scheduled to attend. —Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026

Every contestant on this show has that opportunity. —Allison Moses, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026

Choi Mina-sue and Lee Sung-hun, aka Sam Lee, joined as the second batch of contestants who landed in Inferno. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

contest entry 1 + -ant entry 1

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for contestant

• decongestant

Kids Definition

contestant

noun

con·​test·​ant

kən-ˈtes-tənt

also ˈkän-ˌtes-

: a person who takes part in a contest

Legal Definition

contestant

noun

con·​tes·​tant

: one that initiates or participates in a contest