Showing results for "fist"

• a variation of feist.

fist

¹ American  

[fist] / fɪst /

noun

1. the hand closed tightly, with the fingers doubled into the palm.

2. Informal. the hand.

3. Informal. a person's handwriting.

4. Printing. index.

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verb (used with object)

fists, present (3rd person singular) fisted, past participle, past fisting present participle

1. to make (one's hand) into a fist.

2. to grasp in the fist.

fist ² American  

[fahyst] / faɪst /

noun

1. feist.

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fist British  

/ fɪst /

noun

1. a hand with the fingers clenched into the palm, as for hitting

2. Also called: fistful.  the quantity that can be held in a fist or hand

3. an informal word for hand index

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verb

1. (tr) to hit with the fist

fist Idioms  

1. see hand over fist.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• fisting
  present
• fisted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• fist
  simple
• fists
  simple
• have fisted
  perfect
• has fisted
  perfect
• am fisting
  progressive
• are fisting
  progressive
• is fisting
  progressive
• have been fisting
  perfect progressive
• has been fisting
  perfect progressive

Past

• fisted
  simple
• had fisted
  perfect
• was fisting
  progressive
• were fisting
  progressive
• had been fisting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will fist
  simple
• will have fisted
  perfect
• will be fisting
  progressive
• will have been fisting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of fist

before 900; Middle English; Old English fȳst; cognate with German Faust fist; perhaps akin to five

Explanation

Want to hit a punching bag? First you need to curl your fingers into your palm to make a fist, or a clenched hand. You might make a fist and bump it against your friend's as a greeting, or use it to clutch something tightly: "She held the balloon in one fist, and an ice cream cone in the other." Fists are also used to punch hard, and a fist fight is a serious physical altercation. When we trace this word back to its origin, we find a closely related root meaning "five," for the five fingers of a hand.

Example Sentences

For many Cubans, however, he represented something else entirely: the hard fist of the revolutionary state.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

I don’t linger but admire the genius of it, grab a fist of Rioja Alta and head to the rooftop lounge for a sunset thought amid stunning views of the city.

From Salon • Jun. 23, 2026

He has long favored dialogue over an iron fist security approach.

From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026

With 54 minutes on the clock, Ben Gannon-Doak let out a roar, clenched his fist and punched the air after shielding the ball out for a Scotland goal-kick.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

He clutched his plastic candy bag in his fist.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

Related Words

• clenched fist
• hand
• paw