vie
pronunciation
How to pronounce vie in British English:
UK [vaɪ]
How to pronounce vie in American English:
US [vaɪ]
-
- Verb:
- compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
Word Origin
- vie
- vie: [15] Vie is ultimately the same word as invite. It is a shortened version of the now defunct envie ‘make a challenge’, which came via Old French envier from Latin invītāre (source of English invite), a word of uncertain origin which meant ‘challenge’ as well as ‘invite’.=> invite
- vie (v.)
- 1560s, "to bet, make a bet," (literally "make a vie, the noun attested from 1530s in cards), especially in card-playing, "to wager the value of one's hand against an opponent's," shortened form of Middle English envie "make a challenge," from Old French envier "compete (against), provoke; invite, summon, subpoena;" in gambling, "put down a stake, up the bet;" from Latin invitare "to invite," also "to summon, challenge" (see invitation). Sense of "to contend (with) in rivalry" in English is from 1560s; that of "to contend, compete, strive for superiority" is from c. 1600.
Example
- 1. Each one of these electronic " servants " vie for the attention of its master with beeping alerts , trendy ringtones , and flashing screens .
- 2. In egypt autocratic military officers vie for power with varying shades of islamists .
- 3. Stalls pushing herbs and vegetables native to bangladesh vie with pie-and-mash shops serving eels . The glass and steel of nearby canary wharf , london 's main financial district , dominates the skyline .
- 4. It is from this understanding that celebrities compete to see which of them can do more charitable work and billionaires vie with one another to become the most generous philanthropists .
- 5. Similar distribution alliances have become a key part of the internet search wars as microsoft and google vie to be the default search service on new pcs.