fight

[ fahyt ]

verb (used without object)

, fought, fight·ing.

1. to engage in battle or in single combat; attempt to defend oneself against or to subdue, defeat, or destroy an adversary:

   Our library has records on nearly 60,000 men from West Virginia who fought in World War I.

2. to contend in any manner; strive vigorously for or against something:

   He fought bravely against despair.

3. to have an angry argument or disagreement:

   I'm not happy about my wife bringing a surprise dog home, but I don't want to fight about it.

verb (used with object)

, fought, fight·ing.

1. to contend with in battle or combat; war against:

   England fought Germany in both World Wars.

2. to contend with or against in any manner:

   We hope to foster dialogue and fight hatred.

   Democratic and Republican senators united to fight the passage of this controversial bill.

3. to carry on (a battle, duel, etc.):

   The Normans fought the battle of Hastings in 1066, defeating the Anglo-Saxons and changing the course of English history.

4. to press or aggressively pursue (an argument, cause, contentious issue, etc.):

   She fought her case all the way to the nation's highest court.

5. to make (one's way) by contending or striving:

   The team fought their way to the second round of the tournament, but were eliminated there.

6. to cause or set (a boxer, animal, etc.) to fight.
7. to manage or maneuver (troops, ships, guns, planes, etc.) in battle.

noun

1. a battle or combat:

   I found two of my students in a fight during lunch.

   Synonyms: riot, row, tussle, scuffle, melee, skirmish, action, fray, affray, engagement, encounter

2. any contest or struggle:

   She had a long fight for recovery from her illness.

   Synonyms: riot, row, tussle, scuffle, melee, skirmish, action, fray, affray, engagement, encounter

3. an angry argument or disagreement:

   Whenever we discuss politics, we end up in a fight.

4. Boxing. a bout or contest.
5. a game or diversion in which the participants hit or pelt each other with something harmless:

   a pillow fight;

   a water fight.

6. ability, will, or inclination to fight:

   There was no fight left in him.

fight

/ faɪt /

verb

1. to oppose or struggle against (an enemy) in battle
2. to oppose or struggle against (a person, thing, cause, etc) in any manner
3. tr to engage in or carry on (a battle, contest, etc)
4. whenintr often foll by for to uphold or maintain (a cause, ideal, etc) by fighting or struggling

   to fight for freedom

5. tr to make or achieve (a way) by fighting
6. intr boxing
   1. to box, as for a living
   2. to use aggressive rough tactics
7. to engage (another or others) in combat
8. fight it out
   fight it out to contend or struggle until a decisive result is obtained
9. fight shy of
   fight shy of to keep aloof from

noun

1. a battle, struggle, or physical combat
2. a quarrel, dispute, or contest
3. resistance (esp in the phrase to put up a fight )
4. the desire to take part in physical combat (esp in the phrase to show fight )
5. a boxing match

Derived Forms

• ˈfighting, nounadjective

Other Words From

• fight·a·ble adjective
• fight·a·bil·i·ty [fahy-t, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• fight·ing·ly adverb
• out·fight verb (used with object) outfought outfighting
• pre·fight adjective
• re·fight verb refought refighting
• un·fight·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fight¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb fi(g)hten, Old English fe(o)htan; cognate with German fechten; noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fight¹

Old English feohtan ; related to Old Frisian fiuchta , Old Saxon, Old High German fehtan to fight

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. fight it out, to fight until a decision is reached:

   Let them fight it out among themselves.

2. fight like cats and dogs, to argue constantly or ferociously:

   We worked through our differences later, but those years we were together, we fought like cats and dogs.

3. fight shy of. shy ¹( def 12 ).
4. fight with windmills. tilt ¹( def 18 ).

More idioms and phrases containing fight

• can't fight city hall

Synonym Study

Fight, combat, conflict, contest denote a struggle of some kind. Fight connotes a hand-to-hand struggle for supremacy, literally or in a figurative sense. Combat suggests an armed encounter, as in war. Conflict implies a bodily, mental, or moral struggle caused by opposing views, beliefs, etc. Contest applies to either a friendly or a hostile struggle for a definite prize or aim.

Example Sentences

The shift toward culture fights driven by conservative media has real implications for the evolution and expectations of that group of Americans, including an erosion in the democratic system the GOP was built to leverage.

From Washington Post

By the time the fight finishes, Irene has backed out of the elevator, staring.

From Washington Post

That's one possible explanation for why so many species have evolved various defensive structures to protect them from damage during a fight.

From Ars Technica

With the Washington Wizards back at Capital One Arena for the first time in a week Wednesday, one of the things Coach Scott Brooks hoped his team would carry from its up-and-down trip was the importance of fight.

From Washington Post

In the nation’s capital, teachers and students returned to school buildings last week after a drawn-out fight over how and when classrooms would reopen.

From Washington Post

Gay marriage was the hot-button fight on the left and right.

From The Daily Beast

Iraq may have been an irregular fight, but it had major moments.

From The Daily Beast

The U.S. military is finally starting to train Iraqi troops to fight ISIS in restive Anbar province.

From The Daily Beast

She says she will have to fight in “other ways” to get her client freed.

From The Daily Beast

Starting in the 1970s, then MPAA president Jack Valenti began what was to become a decades-long fight against the quota system.

From The Daily Beast

It was more like the boarding of a ship than any land fight I had ever seen or imagined.

From Project Gutenberg

The fight lasted two days, and only two men out of the five hundred escaped with their lives.

From Project Gutenberg

But they soon fell out, for Murat had the audacity to try and make these patriots fight instead of merely seeking plunder.

From Project Gutenberg

It was found afterwards that the rebels meant to fight the two British forces in detail before they could effect a junction.

From Project Gutenberg

Ike had read the "Herald," with all about "the great prize fight" in it, and had become entirely carried away with it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• argue
• combat
• continue
• engage in
• force
• maintain
• oppose
• resist
• support

More About Fight

What is a basic definition of fight?

A fight is a battle, contest, struggle, argument, or any clash that involves at least two opposing sides. Fight is also to engage in combat or to struggle with something. Fight has several other senses as a noun and a verb.

The most common type of fight is a physical struggle between two or more people (and/or animals) that involves violence. If two men are punching and kicking each other, they are in a fight or having a fight. Fight is also used more generally to refer to any struggle, argument, or contest in which two or more sides are battling against each other, literally or figuratively.

• Real-life examples: Rowdy soccer fans sometimes have fights. Couples and families sometimes have fights, meaning arguments, when they disagree with each other. A person who is in a fight with cancer is trying to beat it by surviving the disease.
• Used in a sentence: Luanne is still sulking after our fight over who the best James Bond is.

As a verb, fight means to engage in a battle or physical combat. This sense can also refer to wars between countries. The past tense of fight is fought. A person who is involved in a fight is called a fighter.

• Real-life examples: People who hate each other often want to fight and harm each other. Two dogs that both want the same territory will fight and try to bite each other. The United States fought Spain during the Spanish American War.
• Used in a sentence: The man was punched in the face as he tried to fight his hated enemy. 

Fight is used also figuratively to mean to struggle against anything.

• Real-life examples: Farmers often fight insects and bad weather. The police fight crime. People fight boredom by watching television or spending time with friends.
• Used in a sentence: The government tried to fight poverty by lowering taxes and providing more welfare programs.

Where does fight come from?

The first records of fight come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English word fe(o)htan. It is related to the German fechten.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to fight?

• fighter (noun)
• fighting (noun, adjective)
• fightable (adjective)
• fightability (noun)
• outfight (verb)

What are some synonyms for fight?

• battle
• brawl
• attack
• combat
• oppose

What are some words that share a root or word element with fight? 

• fight back
• fight off
• fight fire with fire
• fight tooth and nail

What are some words that often get used in discussing fight?

• violence
• punch
• kick
• argument
• war
• boxing
• street

How is fight used in real life?

Fight is a very common word that often refers to battles, both real and figurative.

Just got in a big fight with my mom and didn’t cry, I’m getting powerful 😳🤚🏽🔥🙈

— Sarah A (@saraahaljurdi) December 5, 2020

I broke up a fight between some Ole Miss and Auburn sorority girls at Little Italy last night and I’ve never felt more powerful

— dunc city (@whduncan) October 8, 2017

I'm about to start a fight with my iPhone only because it says it's Wednesday and that has to be a lie right

— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) March 25, 2020

Try using fight!

Is fight used correctly in the following sentence?

Both men looked ready for a fight, preparing to hurt each other as much as possible.