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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

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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

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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

A volunteer instructed me to fold my rectangular ballot twice, so it could fit in the slot atop an overstuffed satchel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

She added some survivors had told her they feared being excluded from the inquiry because their abusers did not fit a particular ethnic profile.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

“We’re looking at how we can fit these companies into our existing workflows and help expedite that,” said David Min, vice president of innovation at the Walt Disney Co.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

"We're going to remove all the pews so we can fit as many wheelchairs as possible. We want people with disabilities to be the protagonists," director Jorge Silanes told AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

“I don’t think I’m a good fit for your club,” I say gently.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

This definition comes from “Doll Dressing,” an exhibition at the Museum at FIT, organized by its senior curator of costume, Colleen Hill.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 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

It was unclear whether FIT condensates can contribute to the organisation and efficiency of cellular processes.

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

If our symbols FIT the world, in the sense of determining our expectations rightly, they may even be the better for not copying its terms.

From Meaning of Truth by William James

Veteran leftist Lula is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, boasting he is fitter than ever despite his advanced age.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Although Ibbie became fitter and healthier, she never did return to school.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

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

Hazel’s leg was stronger and Bigwig felt fitter than at any time since he went into Efrafa.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Young people who end up playing in the NFL are, by definition, by far the fittest and strongest in their schools and colleges.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 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

Being crowned fittest woman on Earth 'doesn't really seem real'

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Those who have played there before explain that the opening 20 minutes are the most crucial period, even for some of the fittest athletes in sports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

As animals struggled to survive, the best-adapted variants—the fittest mutations—were serially selected.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Monday launch involved strategic cruise missiles fitted with a new cluster-munition warhead, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

Concealed beneath the blankets, however, was a heavy-duty chain fitted with padlocks.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

That’s what marathon world-record-setters wear, $300 models with a carbon-fiber plate fitted inside a sole made with energy-returning foam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Bel, who graduated from Springfield High in May, had been fitted with an ankle monitor just before his freshman year of college.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

A searing sun already sat in the sky, and Moss wiped the sweat off his hairline before putting his fitted cap on his head.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Far from fitting the outdated stereotype of Neanderthals as simple, brutal creatures, Shanidar A provides rare physical evidence of a society capable of both deadly violence and sustained compassion.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

At Newcastle, he worked closely with senior management figures Dan Ashworth, Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi - so fitting into Manchester United's structure wouldn't be drastically different.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Across the U.S., elite athletes like Joel Reichow—last year’s top American finisher at the New York City Marathon—spend their days fitting customers who have no idea their shoe salesman runs a 4:30 mile.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

“Information superhighway” was a fitting nickname for a system that could blast the average user through a vast network of art and intelligence.

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026

Except everyone here isn’t grown—Kay and her three friends are here, nodding and snacking, and fitting right in with all of the adults.

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson

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