kung fu

American  

[kuhng foo, koong] / ˈkʌŋ ˈfu, ˈkʊŋ /

noun

1. an ancient Chinese method of self-defense by striking blows at vulnerable areas of an attacker's body using fluid movements of the hands and legs.

---

kung fu British  

/ ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː /

noun

1. any of various Chinese martial arts, some focusing on unarmed combat, others involving the use of weapons

---

Etymology

Origin of kung fu

From the Chinese word gōngf ú literally, skill

Compare meaning

How does kung-fu compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• kung fu vs. karate

Example Sentences

Fans love clocking their samples from kung fu movies, shouting out “Tiger style!” from “Executioners from Shaolin,” or the definitive quote about Shaolin shadowboxing teaming up with the Wu-Tang sword style: It could be dangerous!

From Salon • May 31, 2026

The former head of China's famous Shaolin Temple - known as the birthplace of kung fu - has been sentenced to 24 years in jail for crimes including embezzlement and bribery.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Merz witnessed China's progress in the field first-hand during a visit to the country in February, when he saw displays of Chinese-made robots performing kung fu and boxing.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

“Many foreigners’ perceptions of China may still be stuck at kung fu, the Great Wall and pandas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

Park had expected Steve to start in on him as soon as he let the girl sit down, but Steve went right back to talking about kung fu again.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling