bullfight

American  

[bool-fahyt] / ˈbʊlˌfaɪt /

noun

bullfights plural

1. a traditional Spanish, Portuguese, or Latin American spectacle in which a bull is fought by a matador, assisted by banderilleros and picadors, in a prescribed way in an arena and is usually killed.

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bullfight British  

/ ˈbʊlˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a traditional Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American spectacle in which a matador, assisted by banderilleros and mounted picadors, baits and usually kills a bull in an arena

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bullfighter
  noun
• bullfighting
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bullfights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bullfight

First recorded in 1745–55; bull ¹ + fight

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bullfight bullfights

He still recalls the exact date in 1982 when he performed guanniu at a national ethnic-minority sports meet, and a senior government official called it "a true Chinese-style bullfight".

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

Beneath the clipped prose and bullfight bravado is a meditation on appetite, both emotional and physical.

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025

Despite an an uptick after the Covid pandemic, notably driven by younger people, Spanish culture ministry statistics show that just under 2% of the population went to a bullfight in the 2021-2022 season.

From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2024

Her supporters for the Carnival of Papantla held a bullfight to help her win votes and to collect money for a new kindergarten where she would teach.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2024

It differed from a bullfight in that there was no element of skill or pretense of two equally matched opponents.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

He and Jake leave Paris to fish in the Pyrenees and watch bullfights in Pamplona, where tensions among the expatriates explode.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

Socorro’s social nature, her spunk and her adaptability were likely rooted in her early childhood experiences tagging along with her father to bullfights and bars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2025

Ranchers, businessmen and fans maintain that the ban on bullfights affects their rights and puts at risk several thousand jobs linked to the activity, which they say generates about $400 million a year in Mexico.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 28, 2024

At the beginning of this year's festivities, protesters dressed in red robes and horns filled the city's main square, demanding an end to bullfights in the city in what has become a regular sight.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2023

Of course, it was Mrs. Clarke they were imitating, for how would the children know anything about bullfights and matadors?

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood