fight
[ fahyt ]
/ faɪt /
noun
verb (used without object), fought, fight·ing.
to engage in battle or in single combat; attempt to defend oneself against or to subdue, defeat, or destroy an adversary.
to contend in any manner; strive vigorously for or against something: He fought bravely against despair.
verb (used with object), fought, fight·ing.
RELATED CONTENT
Is It Tis Or ‘Tis?What does ‘tis mean? ‘Tis, as in “`tis the season” is an old—very old—contraction of it is. The apostrophe replaces the i in the word it to create ’tis . . . not quite how we create contractions today. According to Google’s Ngram Viewer, the contraction ’tis was a fan favorite in the early 1700s. At this time, it was likely used more often than it’s. Why is ’tis used? ‘Tis …
Why Is It Called Soccer?The most popular sport in the world is one in which people chase after a ball and kick it with their feet (and give it an occasional head-butt). In most places where this sport is enjoyed it is referred to in a straightforward fashion: football. No matter whether the language is Spanish (fútbol), French (football), German (fußball), Icelandic (fótbolta), Albanian (futboll), or Dutch (voetbal), you …
Nearby words
Idioms
Origin of fight
before 900; (v.) Middle English fi(g)hten, Old English fe(o)htan (cognate with German fechten); (noun) Middle English fi(g)ht, Old English feohte, (ge)feoht, derivative of the v. base
Related forms
Synonym study
1, 2. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for fight it out
fight
/ (faɪt) /
verb fights, fighting or fought
noun
See also fight back, fight off
Derived Formsfighting, noun, adjective
Word Origin for fight
Old English feohtan; related to Old Frisian fiuchta, Old Saxon, Old High German fehtan to fight
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with fight it out (1 of 2)
fight it out
Settle a dispute by fighting, either physically or verbally. For example, The two sides couldn't agree on a budget but were determined to fight it out to the end. [Mid-1500s]
Idioms and Phrases with fight it out (2 of 2)
fight
In addition to the idioms beginning with fight
- fight fire with fire
- fighting chance
- fighting words
- fight it out
- fight off
- fight shy of
- fight tooth and nail
also see:
- can't fight city hall
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.