fighting

[fahy-ting]

adjective

1. fit to fight.

   a boxer who's no longer in fighting shape.

2. tending or meant to stir up a fight or hostility.

   fighting words.

Other Word Forms

• unfighting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fighting¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; fight + -ing ²

Example Sentences

“Lee, you know, he’s fighting for the truth. But at what cost are you going to keep fighting for and moving forward towards the truth? Who’s going to suffer from it?”

From Salon

Indeed, “True Colors” heralded Lauper’s decades of work as an activist fighting homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth and combating efforts to restrict women’s reproductive rights.

From Los Angeles Times

The scorch marks from the fighting that day still mar the walls, and the underbrush of bullet-shattered tiles crackles with Messika’s every step.

From Los Angeles Times

"We are returning to our core mission of fighting real crime," Bondi said.

From BBC

Each week that passes without clarity feeds the sense that a player who has won every major title, who was named The Best, and who remains among the elite, is somehow still fighting for acceptance.

From BBC

Related Words

• bloodshed 
• combat 
• conflict 
• dispute 
• exchange 
• hostility 
• melee 
• riot 
• scuffle 
• strife 
• struggle 
• war 
• warfare