duel
duel — noun
- duelsingular
- duelsplural
1. a planned fight in which two opponents use guns or swords to resolve a disagreem
a planned fight in which two opponents use guns or swords to resolve a disagreement about their honour, found especially in historical settings
In nineteenth-century France, Erik challenged a rival officer to a duel over a public insult.
challenge + to a duel over [insult]
Gabriel read about a famous duel where the two men fired pistols at twenty paces.
The museum displayed the swords used in a duel between two Italian noblemen.
Asher's great-grandfather once fought a duel with a neighbour over a land dispute.
Sari wrote a history paper about the rules and rituals of the European duel.
- combat
broader — any armed fight, not necessarily prearranged
- confrontation
emphasises the face-to-face nature and can be non-physical
文法句型
a duel between [two people]
a duel over [matter of honour]
challenge [someone] to a duel
用法筆記
Historical context is typical. Common collocations include 'fight a duel', 'challenge someone to a duel', and 'duel at dawn'.
常見錯誤
2. a situation where two people, teams, or groups compete intensely against each ot
a situation where two people, teams, or groups compete intensely against each other to achieve a goal
The duel between the two smartphone makers pushed innovation in camera technology.
duel between [companies] — metaphorical
Nia and Anya are in a friendly duel for the top sales award this quarter.
in a duel for [award]
The courtroom became the stage for a legal duel between two top law firms.
Heloísa described the election as a bitter duel between old rivals.
- cooperation
working together instead of against each other
文法句型
a duel between [two sides]
a duel for [prize/goal]
locked in a duel
用法筆記
Unlike 'competition', implies exactly two opposing sides. Frequent in sports and business journalism.
常見錯誤
duel — verb
- duelpresent simple I / you / we / they
- duels3rd person singular
- dueling-ing form
- dueledpast simple
- duelledpast participle
1. to take part in an arranged battle with guns or swords against someone, usually
to take part in an arranged battle with guns or swords against someone, usually to settle a point of honour
The two soldiers prepared to duel with swords at the break of dawn.
duel with swords at [time]
Wei's character in the film duels the villain on the rooftops of Venice.
In the old story, the knights duelled for three days before one finally fell.
James refused to duel his enemy, believing the practice was outdated.
- fight
broader and far more common; not limited to arranged duels
文法句型
duel + [someone] + at [time/place]
duel with [weapon]
用法筆記
Past tense and historical narrative are typical. Intransitive use ('they duelled') is more frequent than transitive ('he duelled his rival').
常見錯誤
2. to face a single opponent in a sporting contest where both sides try to defeat e
to face a single opponent in a sporting contest where both sides try to defeat each other
Bilal and Erik duelled for first place in the hundred-metre sprint.
duel for [position] in [event]
The two chess grandmasters duelled each other for over five hours.
duel each other for [duration]
Abigail duelled against the defending champion in the final round.
Top cyclists duel on the mountain roads of the Tour de France every July.
- cooperate
working together rather than against each other
文法句型
duel + for + [prize]
duel + [someone] + in [event]
duel against [opponent]
用法筆記
Often takes 'for' + prize or 'against' + opponent. Common in sports reporting.
常見錯誤
3. to have a heated and often public argument or disagreement with someone
to have a heated and often public argument or disagreement with someone
The senators duelled over the proposed changes to the tax law.
duel over [topic]
Gabriel and his brother duelled about who should take care of their mother.
The two economists duelled in the journal about inflation policy.
Wei duelled with his co-author over every paragraph of the report.
- agree
reaching a shared opinion instead of disputing
文法句型
duel + over + [topic]
duel + about + [issue]
duel with [someone] + over [something]
用法筆記
Implies a prolonged or forceful disagreement, stronger than 'argue'. Often followed by 'over' or 'about'.