fisticuffs
Britishplural noun
Etymology
Origin of fisticuffs
C17: probably from fisty with the fist + cuff ²
Explanation
Fisticuffs is the act of fighting, or boxing, with bare hands. A heated argument can sometimes end in fisticuffs, with both participants punching wildly at each other. If someone says to you, "Let's take this outside and settle it with some fisticuffs," it means you're likely to end up in a street scuffle. This seventeenth century word isn't too common these days, but it's a colorful way to say "fistfight." The word's form may imitate handiwork, or it might be based on the now-obsolete adjective fisty, "related to the fists," combined with the verb cuff, or "hit."
Vocabulary lists containing fisticuffs
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.
The two men constantly circle each other, two clicks away from West Side Story–style fisticuffs.
From Slate ● Apr. 14, 2025
Ms. Stelson, who is running as a centrist, prevailed in a six-candidate primary that was largely upbeat and free of intraparty fisticuffs.
From New York Times ● Apr. 26, 2024
Nearly every beat, every quip, every character dynamic and every outbreak of fisticuffs has its clear antecedent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
The scenery is quite striking, but the action is mostly routine and lazy, with fake-outs, fisticuffs and a pre-teen in danger.
From Salon ● May 12, 2023
A still, small voice reminded me to return good for evil, reminded me that my plans for the future do not include fisticuffs or expulsion.
From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes
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.
