challenge
Use Challenge in a sentence
ɪndʒ noun
1.
a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.
2.
something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.: Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.
3.
a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.
4.
a demand to explain, justify, etc.: a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.
5.
difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.
6.
Military. the demand of a sentry for identification or a countersign.
7.
Law. a formal objection to the qualifications of a particular juror, to his or her serving, or to the legality of an entire jury. Compare peremptory challenge.
8.
the assertion that a vote is invalid or that a voter is not legally qualified.
9.
Biology. the process of inducing or assessing physiological or immunological activity by exposing an organism to a specific substance.
10.
Hunting. the crying of a hound on finding a scent.
verb (used with object)
11.
to summon to a contest of skill, strength, etc.
12.
to take exception to; call in question: to challenge the wisdom of a procedure.
13.
to demand as something due or rightful.
14.
Military. to halt and demand identification or countersign from.
15.
Law. to take formal exception to (a juror or jury).
16.
to have a claim to; invite; arouse; stimulate: a matter which challenges attention.
17.
to assert that (a vote) is invalid.
18.
to assert that (a voter) is not qualified to vote.
19.
to expose an organism to a specific substance in order to assess its physiological or immunological activity.
20.
Archaic. to lay claim to.
00:10
Challenge
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is yaff. Does it mean:
| to bark; yelp. |
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
verb (used without object)
21.
to make or issue a challenge.
22.
Hunting. (of hounds) to cry or give tongue on picking up the scent.
adjective
23.
donated or given by a private, corporate, or government benefactor on condition that the recipient raise an additional specified amount from the public: a challenge grant.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English chalenge < Old French, variant of chalonge < Latin calumnia calumny
1175–1225; Middle English chalenge < Old French, variant of chalonge < Latin calumnia calumny
Related forms
chal·lenge·a·ble, adjective
pre·chal·lenge, verb (used with object), pre·chal·lenged, pre·chal·leng·ing.
re·chal·lenge, verb (used with object), re·chal·lenged, re·chal·leng·ing.
un·chal·lenge·a·ble, adjective
un·chal·lenge·a·b·ly, adverb
Synonyms
11. dare, bid, invite. 12. question, impute, doubt.
11. dare, bid, invite. 12. question, impute, doubt.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To challenge
Collins
World English Dictionary
challenge (ˈtʃælɪndʒ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to invite or summon (someone to do something, esp to take part in a contest) |
| 2. | (also intr) to call (something) into question; dispute |
| 3. | to make demands on; stimulate: the job challenges his ingenuity |
| 4. | to order (a person) to halt and be identified or to give a password |
| 5. | law to make formal objection to (a juror or jury) |
| 6. | to lay claim to (attention, etc) |
| 7. | (intr) hunting (of a hound) to cry out on first encountering the scent of a quarry |
| 8. | to inject (an experimental animal immunized with a test substance) with disease microorganisms to test for immunity to the disease |
| —n | |
| 9. | a call to engage in a fight, argument, or contest |
| 10. | a questioning of a statement or fact; a demand for justification or explanation |
| 11. | a demanding or stimulating situation, career, object, etc |
| 12. | a demand by a sentry, watchman, etc, for identification or a password |
| 13. | (US) an assertion that a person is not entitled to vote or that a vote is invalid |
| 14. | law a formal objection to a person selected to serve on a jury (challenge to the polls) or to the whole body of jurors (challenge to the array) |
| [C13: from Old French chalenge, from Latin calumnia | |
| 'challengeable | |
| —adj | |
| 'challenger | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
challenge
1292, from O.Fr. chalenge "accusation, claim, dispute," from L. calumnia "trickery" (see calumny). Accusatory connotations died out 17c. Meaning "a calling to fight" is from 1530. Challenged as a euphemism for "disabled" dates from 1985.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
Example sentences
It has a long and strong record of rising to the quality challenge.
Finding space for outdoor living and entertaining is always a challenge on tiny beach lots.
Finding suitable eggs and surrogate mothers for the cloning of extinct or endangered animals will pose another challenge.
Bringing a railway line into a large town or city was a monumental challenge.
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