contested
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closely contested
Describes a situation, especially in sports or competition, in which both sides fight with great effort for victory and the outcome is uncertain.
Es war ein hart umkämpftes Spiel, das erst in der letzten Minute entschieden wurde.
It was a hard-fought game that was only decided in the last minute.
competitive
Describes a market or industry in which many providers compete intensely for customers and market share.
Der Mobilfunkmarkt ist stark umkämpft und die Preise sind entsprechend niedrig.
The mobile phone market is highly competitive, and prices are correspondingly low.
contested
Refers to an area, city, or position that is being fought over in a military conflict.
Die strategisch wichtige Brücke war über Wochen heftig umkämpft.
The strategically important bridge was fiercely contested for weeks.
'umkämpft' (contested) is the past participle of the inseparable verb 'umkämpfen' (to fight over/contest). It consists of the prefix 'um' (here in the sense of 'for' or 'around something') and the verb 'kämpfen' (to fight).
Der erste Platz in der Meisterschaft war bis zum letzten Tag hart umkämpft.
First place in the championship was closely contested until the final day.
As an adjective, 'umkämpft' (contested) can stand before a noun or be used with a verb like 'sein' (to be). The meaning does not change.
Das war ein umkämpfter Sieg für unsere Mannschaft.
That was a hard-fought victory for our team.
The context makes clear what is being fought over. Words like 'Spiel' (game) or 'Sieg' (victory) point to sports, 'Markt' (market) or 'Kunden' (customers) to business, and 'Gebiet' (area) or 'Stadt' (city) to a military conflict.
Der Markt für Elektroautos ist besonders stark umkämpft.
The market for electric cars is particularly competitive.
In sports, 'umkämpft' (closely contested) is often intensified by adverbs. Common combinations are 'hart umkämpft' (hard-fought), 'heftig umkämpft' (fiercely contested), or 'lange umkämpft' (contested for a long time).
Nach einem langen und hart umkämpften Match gewann sie schließlich das Turnier.
After a long and hard-fought match, she finally won the tournament.
scarce / just under / close
In a competition, knapp describes the small margin in the result. Umkämpft, by contrast, describes an intense competition in which both sides show great effort and the outcome remains uncertain for a long time. A closely contested game therefore does not have to end with a narrow margin, and a close result says nothing about how the game unfolded.
Das Finale blieb bis zur letzten Minute umkämpft und endete schließlich 2:1.
The final remained closely contested until the last minute and eventually ended 2–1.
Die Mannschaft gewann das Finale knapp mit 2:1.
The team narrowly won the final 2–1.
