争う|あらそうarasou[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. godan verb, intransitive verbto compete; to contest; to contend
   １０チームが賞しょうを得えようと争あらそった。↗

   Ten teams competed for the prize.
2. godan verb, intransitive verbto quarrel; to argue; to dispute; to be at variance; to oppose
   その囚人しゅうじん達たちはまるで狂人きょうじんのように互たがいに争あらそった。↗

   The prisoners fought one another like so many mad people.
3. godan verb, intransitive verbto deny (e.g. evidence)usu. in negative form

• Synonym戦うたたかうNeutralFighting or battling, as in 「病気と闘う」; the object is usually an enemy or a hardship, while 「争う」 leans toward contending and quarrelling.
• Synonym闘争とうそうWrittenWritten/formal noun for struggle, as in 「権力闘争」 and 「労働闘争」; suggests organized, intense confrontation.
• Synonym競り合うせりあうNeutralJostling for the same goal with neither side giving way, as in 「ゴール前で競り合う」; the outcome stays neck and neck.
• Synonym競い合うきそいあうNeutralCompeting against each other, as in 「技を競い合う」; focuses on measuring who is better and carries no sense of quarrelling.
• Synonym競争きょうそうNeutralNoun for competition, as in 「競争相手」; no sense of quarrelling or arguing.
• Synonym論争ろんそうWrittenWritten/formal noun for people with differing views each arguing their own case, as in 「論争を巻き起こす」; purely verbal, no contest of skill.
• Synonym競るせるNeutralBidding against others or racing to be first, as in 「競りで落札」; leans toward auctions and contests.
• Synonym競合きょうごうWrittenWritten/formal term for mutual competition, as in 「競合他社」; mostly business contexts.
• Synonym張り合うはりあうNeutralRefusing to be outdone and competing hard, as in 「ライバルと張り合う」; has a take-it-seriously edge.
• Synonym競うきそうNeutralTesting who is better, as in 「速さを競う」; leans toward contests and carries no sense of quarrelling.
• Synonym渡り合うわたりあうNeutralCrossing swords or debating fiercely with an opponent, as in 「堂々と渡り合う」; works even when abilities differ — add 「互角に」 to say they are evenly matched.
• SynonymやりあうCasualColloquial: quarrelling or going at each other, as in 「口でやり合う」; suggests heated back-and-forth between two sides.
• Synonym争論そうろんWrittenWritten/formal noun for an argument or dispute; rare today — 「論争」 is the usual word.
• Related挑むいどむNeutralActively taking on a challenge, as in 「記録に挑む」; you initiate it, often against a strong opponent or a hard problem.
• Related立ち合うたちあうNeutralBeing matched against someone in a contest; leans toward sumo and the martial arts.
• Antonym協調きょうちょうWrittenAntonym: written/formal word for cooperating and harmonizing, the opposite of the confrontation and dispute of 「争う」.
• Antonym譲るゆずるNeutralAntonym: giving way or handing something over to the other side, as in 「席を譲る」; the opposite of contending for something.

Use 「争う」 for contending over a win, quarrelling, or fighting a case in court, as in 「一位を争う」 and 「裁判で争う」. For a contest of skill say 「競う」, for battle 「戦う」, and for a war of words 「論争」. The opposites are 「譲る」 and 「協調」.

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

1. （あらそう）力量りきりょうに差さが無ない者ものが、優劣ゆうれつなどを競きそうこと。