How to say "competitive" in Japanese

• コンペティティブ
  na-adjectiveA direct loanword from English; it is the most literal match for 'competitive' but is less common, and it lacks the hating-to-lose nuance of the native words, so it is seldom what you want.
• 負けず嫌いまけずぎらい
  na-adjective, nounCovers 'competitive' as a personality trait: someone who hates to lose, unyielding and unbending. Typical context: describing a person's character, someone who refuses to be beaten.
• 負け嫌いまけぎらい
  na-adjective, nounA variant of 負けず嫌い with the same sense: hating to lose, always wanting to win, unyielding. It is less common, so it is mainly a form to recognize rather than the one to use.

All three are less common renderings of 'competitive': 「負けず嫌い」 and its variant 「負け嫌い」 describe a hating-to-lose temperament, while 「コンペティティブ」 is the direct loanword, chosen when you want the borrowed term itself.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• コンペティティブcompetitive
• 負けず嫌いまけずぎらいhating to lose
• 負け嫌いまけぎらいhating to lose