fight
Americanverb (used without object)
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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.
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to contend in any manner; strive vigorously for or against something.
He fought bravely against despair.
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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)
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to contend with in battle or combat; war against.
England fought Germany in both World Wars.
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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.
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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.
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to press or aggressively pursue (an argument, cause, contentious issue, etc.).
She fought her case all the way to the nation's highest court.
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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.
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to cause or set (a boxer, animal, etc.) to fight.
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to manage or maneuver (troops, ships, guns, planes, etc.) in battle.
noun
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a battle or combat.
I found two of my students in a fight during lunch.
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any contest or struggle.
She had a long fight for recovery from her illness.
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an angry argument or disagreement.
Whenever we discuss politics, we end up in a fight.
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Boxing. a bout or contest.
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a game or diversion in which the participants hit or pelt each other with something harmless.
a pillow fight;
a water fight.
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ability, will, or inclination to fight.
There was no fight left in him.
idioms
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fight it out, to fight until a decision is reached.
Let them fight it out among themselves.
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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.
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fight with windmills. tilt.
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fight shy of. shy.
verb
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to oppose or struggle against (an enemy) in battle
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to oppose or struggle against (a person, thing, cause, etc) in any manner
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(tr) to engage in or carry on (a battle, contest, etc)
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to uphold or maintain (a cause, ideal, etc) by fighting or struggling
to fight for freedom
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(tr) to make or achieve (a way) by fighting
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(intr) boxing
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to box, as for a living
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to use aggressive rough tactics
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to engage (another or others) in combat
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to contend or struggle until a decisive result is obtained
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to keep aloof from
noun
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a battle, struggle, or physical combat
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a quarrel, dispute, or contest
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resistance (esp in the phrase to put up a fight )
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the desire to take part in physical combat (esp in the phrase to show fight )
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a boxing match
Usage
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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fightabilitynoun
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fightingnoun
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refightverb
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outfightverb (used with object)
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fightableadjective
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prefightadjective
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unfightableadjective
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fightinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fightsimple
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fightssimple
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have foughtperfect
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has foughtperfect
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am fightingprogressive
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are fightingprogressive
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is fightingprogressive
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have been fightingperfect progressive
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has been fightingperfect progressive
Past
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foughtsimple
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had foughtperfect
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was fightingprogressive
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were fightingprogressive
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had been fightingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fight
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb fi(g)hten, Old English fe(o)htan; cognate with German fechten; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
When you fight, you dispute or argue. Everyone disagrees from time to time, but it's sad when close friends fight. The verb fight means to engage in a struggle that involves conflict — and as a noun, fight is the conflict itself. A fight can take a physical form, like a boxing match or a playground skirmish, or it can happen with words, like a fight over politics. The ancient root of fight comes from the Proto-Indo-European prefix pek, meaning "to pluck out." Picture a hair-pulling fight, and this makes complete sense.
Vocabulary lists containing fight
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"I don't think that to be the case. I know Adam better than that. He will always want to fight and be the best he can be."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Despite the looming heatwave, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared that "we are indeed turning the tide, and we can begin to see light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against these fires".
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The forfeiture fight outlasted his flying career, and last year it produced the ruling the Supreme Court will now review.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
In the middle of this fight are the nonprofits, some of which have been approved for federal funds but are operating without executed contracts and any confidence they’ll be reimbursed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“So if we’d had to ring it for help to fight the fire, we’d have been up a gum stump?”
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
One of my patients revels in being a peacemaker and resolving fights among her three teenage grandchildren, despite her own issues with anxiety and memory lapses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
His goal is “making sure that the 9th district has representation that actually fights for it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Wach has lost seven of his past 10 fights, including a knockout defeat by Moses Itauma two years ago.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
I’ve also heard from various people telling me their whole financial picture, down to the pennies in their accounts, and the ins and outs of their divorces, estate fights and bad relationships with financial professionals.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
She had been very angry about the hawk, angrier even than when Bat and Janie got into loud screaming fights.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
But his memory shouldn’t pass without recalling the principles he fought for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Backed by water tankers and a helicopter, firefighters on Sunday fought to contain a stubborn wildfire in Northern California that prompted officials to order evacuations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Behind him, Red Bull's Isack Hadjar was sixth, ahead of Russell, who dropped to 21st place on the first lap after his anti-stall kicked in at the start, and fought back strongly.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
France fought an "unpredictable" wildfire close to Bordeaux on Sunday while Spain warned of "difficult hours" in its own fiery battle, with evacuations from danger zones in both countries mounting to well over 300,000 people.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
He immediately fought to get down again, screamed for it, and when he got down he began to pull with his neck.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
"For so many years we have been fighting for justice to be done, and we know how they operate," she told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Americans’ confidence in the economy fell this month as gas prices resumed their climb after the U.S. and Iran stepped up their fighting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Mediators are using a lull in the fighting to patch together a quick fix to reopen the strait, hoping it paves the way for substantive talks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He says he has kept fighting because he considers it his duty to make sure the Bill of Rights “actually means something.”
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
No more grooming-nibbles in the morning; no more uproarious games of hide and hunt… Torak bit his knuckle, fighting his fear.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
