vie

verb

ˈvī How to pronounce vie (audio)
vied; vying ˈvī-iŋ How to pronounce vie (audio)
Synonyms of vie

intransitive verb

: to strive for superiority : contend, compete

transitive verb

archaic : wager, hazard
also : to exchange in rivalry : match
vier
ˈvī(-ə)r How to pronounce vie (audio)
noun

Synonyms of vie

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of vie in a Sentence

They are vying to win the championship for the third year in a row. vied with his colleagues for the coveted promotion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The stars vying for this year’s Mirrorball trophy include actors, reality TV personalities and a Paralympian gold medalist. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Nonetheless, the Washington summit is a major moment for the world’s top economies, which are vying for dominance in a highly unstable world marked by multiple active wars and a global economy being reshaped by artificial intelligence. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 Even the 6th District race, where six candidates are vying for the open seat left by Moulton, reveals some of this tension. — Margie Cullen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 This debut feature is a semi-autobiographical film about a young woman working as an intern at a literary magazine in New York who is vying for acceptance in the upper crust literary world. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vie

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, short for envien, from Anglo-French envier to invite, call on, challenge, from Latin invitare to invite

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of vie was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing vie

Rhymes for vie

See All Rhymes for vie

Browse Nearby Words

viduity
vie
Viedma
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vie. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

vie

verb
ˈvī How to pronounce vie (audio)
vied; vying ˈvī-iŋ How to pronounce vie (audio)
: to strive to win over another : contend
candidates vying with each other for the voter's support
vier
ˈvī(-ə)r How to pronounce vie (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All