duel

1 of 3

noun (1)

du·​el ˈdü-əl 

also ˈdyü-

1

: a combat between two persons

specifically : a formal combat with weapons fought between two persons in the presence of witnesses

2

: a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces

also : a hard-fought contest between two opponents

duel

2 of 3

verb

dueled or duelled; dueling or duelling

intransitive verb

: to fight a duel

transitive verb

: to encounter (an opponent) in a duel

dueler noun

or dueller

duelist noun

or duellist

ˈd(y)ü-ə-list 

duelist

3 of 3

noun (2)

du·​el·​ist

variants or duellist

ˈd(y)üə̇lə̇st 

-u̇ə̇-

plural -s

: one who engages in duels

Synonyms of duel

Noun (1)

• rivalry
• battle
• struggle
• competition
• confrontation
• warfare
• war
• conflict
• contention

Examples of duel in a Sentence

Noun (1)

They engaged in a duel of wits.

a duel for the title of captain of the team

Verb

He accepted the challenge to duel.

Legislators dueled over the tax increases.

The two runners dueled for the lead.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Solid performances from the supporting cast include Lucas Prizant as Hamlet’s loyal friend, Horatio, and Brenna DiStasio as Laertes, his opponent in the finale’s fateful duel. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

But Blue Origin branching out also ramps up the the two-decades-long Bezos-Musk rivalry further away from a mere billionaire duel and into a capital-heavy race for space dominance that institutional investors can help fund. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 8 July 2026

Verb

By Peter Blumberg, Bloomberg The judge overseeing the legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman and their dueling AI startups enlisted a mediator to resolve the dispute. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026

British maritime officials report drone and projectile strikes as Qatar blames Iran, while dueling warnings over shipping routes complicate fragile talks to reopen the strait and end the conflict. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Medieval Latin duellum, from Old Latin, war

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1645, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for duel

• accrual
• nonfuel
• refuel
• renewal
• biofuel
• contextual
• nonrenewal
• nonsexual
• unusual
• cruel
• dual
• fuel

Kids Definition

duel

1 of 2 noun

du·​el ˈd(y)ü-əl 

1

: a combat between two persons

especially : one fought with weapons in the presence of witnesses

2

: a conflict between two opponents

duel

2 of 2 verb

dueled or duelled; dueling or duelling

: to fight in a duel

dueler noun

or dueller

duelist noun

or duellist

ˈd(y)ü-ə-ləst 

Etymology

Noun

from Latin duellum "duel," from an archaic form of earlier bellum "war"; revived in the Middle Ages to mean combat between two persons because the du- suggested Latin duo "two"