challenge
verb/ˈtʃælɪndʒ/
/ˈtʃælɪndʒ/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they challenge | /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/ /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/ |
| he / she / it challenges | /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪz/ /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪz/ |
| past simple challenged | /ˈtʃælɪndʒd/ /ˈtʃælɪndʒd/ |
| past participle challenged | /ˈtʃælɪndʒd/ /ˈtʃælɪndʒd/ |
| -ing form challenging | /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ/ /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ/ |
- to question whether a statement or an action is right, legal, etc.; to refuse to accept something synonym dispute
- challenge something His legal team immediately sought to challenge the decision.
- The story was completely untrue and was successfully challenged in court.
- She does not like anyone challenging her authority.
- This discovery challenges traditional beliefs.
- The new study challenges fundamental assumptions about the virus.
- challenge somebody on something She challenged him on his old-fashioned views.
- challenge somebody He repeated the claim but the interviewer did not challenge him.
Language Bank argueargueVerbs for reporting an opinion- Some critics argue that Picasso remained a great master all his life.
- Others maintain that there is a significant deterioration in quality in his post-war work.
- Picasso himself claimed that good art is created, but great art is stolen.
- As Smith has noted, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art.
- As the author points out, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art.
- The writer challenges the notion that Picasso’s sculpture was secondary to his painting.
- It has been suggested that Picasso’s painting was influenced by jazz music.
Extra ExamplesTopics Law and justiceb2- Harley sought to challenge the jurisdiction of the court.
- She was effectively challenging the whole basis on which society was run.
- The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- directly
- openly
- publicly
- …
- seek to
- on
- to invite somebody to enter a competition, fight, etc.; to suggest strongly that somebody should do something (especially when you think that they might be unwilling to do it)
- challenge somebody to something Mike challenged me to a game of chess.
- The count challenged him to a duel.
- challenge somebody to do something The opposition leader challenged the prime minister to call an election.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- seriously
- successfully
- unsuccessfully
- …
- for
- to
- [intransitive, transitive] to enter into a competition against somebody to achieve something or take something from them
- challenge for something She was poised to challenge for the party leadership.
- challenge somebody for something He challenged her for the role of leader.
- challenge somebody She is the person most likely to challenge him before the next election.
- to test somebody’s/your ability and skills, especially in an interesting way
- challenge somebody The job doesn't really challenge her.
- No one has seriously challenged the champion.
- challenge yourself She continues to challenge herself as a dancer.
- challenge somebody to order somebody to stop and say who they are or what they are doing
- We were challenged by police at the border.
Word OriginMiddle English (in the senses ‘accusation’ and ‘accuse’): from Old French chalenge (noun), chalenger (verb), from Latin calumnia ‘calumny’, calumniari ‘slander’.
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