liza

arena

noun LEE-sah Rare

Origin: From Old French lice, a jousting enclosure.

Also means

contest

Usage Note

Liza is a literary or elevated term for a combat arena or field of contest, and its primary modern life is in the set phrase en liza ('in contention', 'at stake', 'in the running'): los candidatos en liza ('the candidates in contention'). In everyday speech it almost never appears outside this idiom. As a given name Liza is unrelated — avoid confusion in context.

Examples

"Hay tres candidatos en liza para el puesto."

Natural Translation

There are three candidates in contention for the post.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

How to Respond to ¿Cómo Estás? (Not Just Bien)

Respond to ¿cómo estás? like a native: add gracias, bounce back ¿y tú?, and pick a reply by mood — bien, no me quejo, más o menos, or ahí voy.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish: 12 Real Phrases

Introduce yourself in Spanish with 12 ready-to-speak phrases — name, origin, age, and job — in both tú and usted, with the verb traps that trip up beginners.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

How to Memorize Spanish Vocabulary Fast (That Sticks)

Memorize Spanish vocabulary fast with a 15-minute daily loop: spaced repetition, frequency-first words, and example-sentence cards that actually stick.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Object Pronouns: Lo, La, Le & Se Made Simple

Use lo/la for the direct object and le for the indirect — and le becomes se before lo/la. Master Spanish object pronouns with one simple verb test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read