Spring has come, and the flowers are rivaling one another in beauty.
Tips
history
From Wu Zeng's Song-dynasty 《能改斋漫录·方物·芍药谱》: 'the finest peony varieties 争妍斗奇, the old ones not yet tired of but the new already thriving'. The flower-competition metaphor fixed early; modern form lightly varies the characters.
usage
Primary use is literal — flowers in bloom. Figurative extensions: fashion shows, art exhibits, design competitions — any scene where many beautiful/novel things compete for attention. Always positive.
