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• fit
  fit

  adjective

  adapted or suited; appropriate.
• FIT
  FIT

  Federal Insurance Tax.

fit

¹ American  

[fit] / fɪt /

adjective

• fitter,
  comparative
• fittest
  superlative

1. adapted or suited; appropriate.

   This water isn't fit for drinking.

   A long-necked giraffe is fit for browsing treetops.

   Synonyms:

   apropos, applicable, meet, proper, apt, suitable

2. proper or becoming.

   This is not fit behavior for a funeral service.

   Synonyms:

   befitting, fitting

3. qualified or competent, as for an office or function.

   It took several interviews to find a fit candidate for the position.

4. prepared or ready.

   Constant updating of methods and equipment will ensure that we're fit for the future.

5. in good physical condition; in good health.

   He's fit for the race.

   Synonyms:

   robust, strong, hardy, hale, healthy

6. Biology.

   1. being adapted to the prevailing conditions and producing offspring that survive to reproductive age.

   2. contributing genetic information to the gene pool of the next generation.

   3. (of a population) maintaining or increasing the group's numbers in the environment.

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verb (used with object)

fitted, fit, fitting

1. to be adapted to or suitable for (a purpose, object, occasion, etc.).

2. to be proper or becoming for.

3. to be of the right size or shape for.

   The dress fitted her perfectly.

4. to adjust or make conform.

   She had the jeweler fit the ring to her finger.

5. to make qualified or competent.

   Courage and patience are among the qualities that fit a person for leadership.

6. to prepare.

   This school fits students for college.

7. to put with precise placement or adjustment.

   He fitted the picture into the frame.

8. to provide; furnish; equip.

   I fitted the cabinet door with a new handle.

9. Statistics. to predict, calculate, or project (values) according to a model based on existing data.

verb (used without object)

fitted, fit, fitting

1. to be suitable or proper.

2. to be of the right size or shape, as a garment for the wearer or any object or part for a thing to which it is applied.

   The shoes fit.

noun

1. the manner in which a thing fits.

   The fit was perfect.

2. something that fits.

   The coat is a poor fit.

3. the process of fitting.

verb phrase

1. fit out / up to furnish with supplies, equipment, clothing, furniture, or other requisites; supply; equip.

   In Kathmandu they found a supplier to fit out the trekking expedition.

idioms

1. fit the bill. bill.

2. fit to kill, to the limit; exceedingly.

   She was dressed up fit to kill.

3. fit to be tied, extremely annoyed or angry.

   He was fit to be tied when I told him I'd wrecked the car.

fit ² American  

[fit] / fɪt /

noun

1. a sudden, acute attack or manifestation of a disease, especially one marked by convulsions or unconsciousness.

   a fit of epilepsy.

2. an onset, spell, or period of emotion, feeling, inclination, activity, etc..

   a fit of anger;

   a fit of weeping.

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idioms

1. by / in fits and starts, at irregular intervals; intermittently.

   This radio works by fits and starts.

2. throw a fit, to become extremely excited or angry.

   Your father will throw a fit when he hears what you have done.

fit ³ American  

[fit] / fɪt /

noun

Archaic.

1. a song, ballad, or story.

2. a division of a song, ballad, or story.

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fit ⁴ American  

[fit] / fɪt /

verb

Nonstandard (chiefly Older Use).

1. simple past tense of fight.

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FIT ⁵ American  

1. Banking. Federal Insurance Tax.

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fit ¹ British  

/ fɪt /

verb

1. to be appropriate or suitable for (a situation, etc)

2. to be of the correct size or shape for (a connection, container, etc)

3. (tr) to adjust in order to render appropriate

   they had to fit the idea to their philosophy

4. (tr) to supply with that which is needed

5. (tr) to try clothes on (someone) in order to make adjustments if necessary

6. (tr) to make competent or ready

   the experience helped to fit him for the task

7. (tr) to locate with care

8. (intr) to correspond with the facts or circumstances

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adjective

1. suitable to a purpose or design; appropriate

2. having the right qualifications; qualifying

3. in good health

4. worthy or deserving

   a book fit to be read

5. (foll by an infinitive) in such an extreme condition that a specified consequence is likely

   she was fit to scream

   you look fit to drop

6. informal (of a person) sexually attractive

noun

1. the manner in which something fits

2. the act or process of fitting

3. statistics the correspondence between observed and predicted characteristics of a distribution or model See goodness of fit

fit ² British  

/ fɪt /

noun

1. pathol a sudden attack or convulsion, such as an epileptic seizure

2. a sudden spell of emotion

   a fit of anger

3. an impulsive period of activity or lack of activity; mood

   a fit of laziness

4. to surprise a person in an outrageous manner

5. informal to become very angry or excited

6. in spasmodic spells; irregularly

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verb

1. informal (intr) to have a sudden attack or convulsion, such as an epileptic seizure

fit ³ British  

/ fɪt /

noun

1. archaic a story or song or a section of a story or song

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fit More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fit

• give someone fits
• have a fit
• if the shoe fits
• see fit to
• survival of the fittest

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Usage

Both fit and fitted are standard as past tense and past participle of fit1 : The new door fit (or fitted ) the old frame perfectly. The suit had fitted (or fit ) well last year. Fitted is somewhat more common than fit in the sense “to adjust, make conform”: The tailor fitted the suit with a minimum of fuss. In the passive voice, fitted is the more common past participle: The door was fitted with a new handle.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fittable
  adjective
• unfittable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• fitter
  comparative
• fittest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of fit¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English fitten, fetten “to marshal or deploy troops; to be fitting, befit;” possibly from Old Norse fitja “to web, knit;” akin to Middle Dutch vitten “to befit”

Origin of fit²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fitt “round of fighting”; see fit ³

Origin of fit³

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English fitt “round of singing, canto, song, speech”

Origin of fit⁴

First recorded in 1805–10

Explanation

"Don't have a fit about it!" someone might snap at you. Chances are you're making a fuss and acting out, characteristics that precisely fit or match what having a fit involves. Chill out. When something fits like a glove, it fits just right. When you put a glove on, you fit each finger into its place. The word fit can mean "matching the shape of something" or "being a good match," like two people who meet online and turn out to be a good fit for one another. But its definitions are not always so rosy. If you're really angry and find yourself throwing a tantrum, you're having a fit.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fit FIT fitter fittest fitted fitting

Thirty years since Berger, Smicer, Poborsky and Nedved endured their north London heartbreak, the creaking old stadium has long ago been substituted out and replaced by a Wembley fit for the 21st Century.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

The Bilt Palladium, $495 annual fee: I was already considering the Bilt card before talking to Kelly because it appears to fit how I currently spend.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Shapiro says younger Chinese engage in sports to get fit and hang out with friends, whereas Nike’s China advertising too often focuses on the competitive aspect of sport, with international athletes in triumphant moments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Food does not always have to fit neatly into categories like Mexican, Jordanian, Ethiopian or Australian.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

Everyone else in your family found where they fit in this new town right away.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Molchanova eventually moved to New York and started following Epstein’s advice, hoping she’d break into design, but no FIT education materialized.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Those eligible for screening who are registered with a GP get a home FIT kit through the post every two years.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

The study, which has now appeared in the Journal of Cell Biology, found that FIT is a dynamic protein that can localise in membrane-less sub-compartments -- so-called biomolecular condensates -- within the cell.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 23, 2024

Earlier this year, the Museum at FIT celebrated hip-hop fashion with an exhibition titled "Fresh, Fly and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style."

From Reuters ● Sep. 5, 2023

Make the public-house FIT for women and children.

From The New Machiavelli by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

The people included in the study may have been healthier and fitter than the general population.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

But he insists he feels fitter than ever and he dreams of "living to 120."

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

"Tough", "stronger" and "fitter" are probably not the words most footballers want to hear to describe their opposition.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Plus, it’s a measure of progress—the fitter I get, the easier my heart works.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

"And hast been in the battle, clean contrary to your obedience. A boy to break a father's heart! At your age a rod to your breech were fitter than a sword in your fist, ha!"

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis

McCullum said he is in "total agreement" with Root and that he wants his white-ball side to be the "fittest, strongest, most dynamic, most robust cricket team in the world".

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

The movie projects contempt for the dense from its first frame, sharing a montage of recent pop culture as a stentorian narrator worries that modern conveniences have perverted the concept of survival of the fittest.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

In the meantime, it will be survival of the fittest drivers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026

"Given what I went through, it's wild that it's the only thing I'm left with. I'm the healthiest and fittest I've ever been," she says.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026

It becomes truly the survival of only the fittest.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

One camera was fitted with a cover called a “Flock sock.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

To investigate, the researchers fitted five mature saltwater crocodiles with satellite tracking devices.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

But now experts have developed new "super elastic" springs using a special metal called nitinol, a nickel and titanium alloy, with Rory the first patient to have them fitted.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Wartsila said client confidentiality prevented it answering questions on why fail-safe monitoring equipment was not fitted on Glen Sannox, or who had access to its service notices.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Deydey was proud of its snug construction, with thick logs fitted together as closely as possible.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Last week, more than 80,000 Irish fans at Croke Park gave icon Katie Taylor a fitting farewell.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

It is a fitting final role for a player whose career has stretched across generations of the WNBA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

But fitting all the evidence into one explanation remains difficult.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

It’s fitting that this book, which presents the afterlife as a play of voices, has been adapted as an opera.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

He tipped out the plastic jar of hardware and sorted out a bolt to thread into the fitting of the junction and then tightened it down.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Related Words

• able
• apt
• capable
• competent
• happy
• prepared
• qualified
• wise