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.

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kung fu British  

/ ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː /

noun

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

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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

Could a kung fu master beat a kickboxer?

From Slate • Jun. 14, 2026

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

He spent more than a week in Zhengzhou, China, studying kung fu and meditating with Shaolin monks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

"They've shown robots dancing and doing kung fu; now show us that they can be productive," Rokseth said.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

“Cartwheels and kung fu it was. Merv was always quieter, truth be told, even before he was out.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling