battle

(brush/fork) + (fishhook)
★★★★☆
6 strokes
DUPE

Onyomi

SOU

Yo Mama loses SOO many rap battles, the only thing that rhymes is her concession speech.

Mnemonic

Two midgets fighting a battle with the most fearsome weapons they can lift; a brush and a fish-hook.

Kunyomi

あらそ*う competition. Unlike the synonym 競争 (きょうそう), 争う emphasizes a feeling of battle, a lack of rules, and only 争う can escalate to physical violence.
★★★★☆

Jukugo

戦争(せんそう) する

war ★★★★★
(fight) + (battle) = 戦争 (war)

競争(きょうそう) する

competition ★★★☆☆
(contest) + (battle) = 競争 (competition)

unless you're talking about a literal foot-race, 競争 does not mean a game. It refers to competing within a framework (usually business or academic). The best score on the test, the salesman who sold the most this month.

論争(ろんそう)

argument ★★☆☆☆
(make a case for) + (battle) = 論争 (argument)

an argument or controversy

Used In

Synonyms

argument
議論    論争    討論   
contest, game
試合    競争    競技    争う    勝負    競う    闘う