challenger:

(plural: ‘challengers‘; pronunciation: the letters ‘ch’ are said with a ‘ch’ sound as in “church”, and the letter ‘g’ is said with a ‘j’ sound as in “judge”)

‘to challenge’ = ‘to ask someone about the way something is done or planned’; ‘to call or invite someone to fight or argue’; ‘to try to defeat someone who is already a winner in a previous fight or competition’; or ‘to question somebody’s real worth or belief’, or ‘to question the a policy or process’

defender (L) and challenger (R) IBF heavyweight (boxing) championship

a person who opposes (challenges/question) the already existing authority, political or social system, the result of something, etc.; a rival;

a contestant (a player or participant) of a match or competition who is believed to win the contest, and/or whom another participant hopes to win; a contender;

a contestant (a player or participant) of a match or competition who invites or challenges the already title holding champion to compete; a competitor,

George Bush and his political challenger, John Kerry

e.g.

Mike is the present boxing champion, and he’s confident that he can defeat any challenger in the next match.

In the last general elections, our party candidate lost to her challenger, a much younger man, but this time she’s become the challenger and hopes to win over him.

As the date for the competition drew nearer, several challengers began to file their nominations to get the title.

Danny is a much-feared challenger in our community; he questions any old custom or belief the elders expects the youth to accept and follow.

Note: ‘Challenger’, always with a capital ‘c’, is often found in the names of vehicles, including the space shuttle, e.g. The new model from the Dodge car makers is named ‘Challenger’. The space shuttle Challenger exploded in the air only after 73 seconds into its flight.
For an interesting article on a boxer and his challengers, please click here, and to know how this word pops in political news, please click here.
Return to “contender“.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

Comments are closed.