contend
/kənˈtɛnd/verb
contend is spelled C-O-N-T-E-N-D: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.6 times per million words in written English, the 13,695th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, contend means “To be in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in contend?
| Letters | 7: C-O-N-T-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.6 times per million words; the 13,695th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is contend?
Contend appears 3.6 times per million words in written English, the 13,695th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce contend?
- /kənˈtɛnd/
Contend has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Mélange_a_trois-contend.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of contend
- contends present, singular, he/she/it
- contending participle, present
- contended participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does contend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To be in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
- 2
To struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
17th century, John Dryden, Epistle III to the Lady Castlemain You sit above, and see vain men below / Contend for what you only can bestow.
- 3
To be in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.
- 4
To believe (something is reasonable) and argue (for it); to advocate.
In this paper the author contends that no useful results can be obtained if this method is used.
- 5
To try to cope with a difficulty or problem.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Contend in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | streiten, sich auseinandersetzen, ringen mit, sich widersetzen, kämpfen , verteidigen |
| Spanish | contender, refertar, opositar , sostener |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does contend come from?
From Middle English contenden, borrowed from Old French contendre, from Latin contendere (“to stretch out, extend, strive after, contend”), from com- (“together”) + tendere (“to stretch”); see tend, and compare attend, extend, intend, subtend.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).