challenge
/ˈt͡ʃæl.ɪnd͡ʒ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.88 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A confrontation; a dare.
noun
A confrontation; a dare.
noun
A confrontation; a dare.
noun
A confrontation; a dare.
noun
A confrontation; a dare.
noun
A confrontation; a dare.
noun
A difficult task, especially one that the person making the attempt finds more enjoyable because of that difficulty.
Example Sentences
- "Congratulations on managing to use the phrase “preponderant criterion” in a chart (“On your marks”, November 9th). Was this the work of a kakorrhaphiophobic journalist set a challenge by his colleagues, or simply an example of glossolalia?"
- "a challenge to the king's authority"
- "For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places."
- "Argentine midfielder Jonas Gutierrez added a superb second when he surged past four challenges to fire in low."
- "The somewhat-shattered San Francisco also managed to make it out, although not before she'd come within seconds of being blown out of the water by Helena, as the two had lost contact in the dark and the flagship had loomed back out of the murk with no one and nothing available to answer the light cruiser's challenge - the radio, the whistle, the signal lights, the flags, et cetera, had all been destroyed. Luckily, one of the few surviving signalmen found a small handheld signal light and managed to blink out the ship's hull number."
- "Consanguinity in direct line is a challenge for a judge when he or she is sitting cases."
Etymology
From Middle English chalenge, variant with palatalization of Middle English kalange (“an accusation, claim”), from Old French chalenge, chalonge, palatalized Central French variants of Old Northern French calenge, calonge (see Continental Norman calengier), from Latin calumnia (“a false accusation, calumny”). Cognate with Old English hōl (“calumny”). Doublet of calumny.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: chalenge, kalange, calenge, calumnia
Usage
- American usage
- Transitive verb
- Obsolete
- Canadian usage