bout

noun

ˈbau̇t How to pronounce bout (audio)
Synonyms of bout
: 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

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Liv Morgan's Women's World Championship defense against IYO SKY is another key bout. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Sabato, who pays the bills these days working construction, joined Official Celebrity Boxing, a company that organizes and promotes live bouts between non-athletic influencer types purely for entertainment purposes. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Abdul, 25, was disqualified from his super-heavyweight quarter-final against Damar Thomas after appearing to thrust his head towards the Englishman in the third round of the bout in Glasgow. — Andrew Fifield, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Four Americans were killed during the nearly two-week bout of fighting. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bout

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bout was in 1575

Rhymes for bout

See All Rhymes for bout

Browse Nearby Words

boustrophedon
bout
boutade
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bout. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bout

noun
ˈbau̇t How to pronounce bout (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on bout

Nglish: Translation of bout for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All