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

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Compare meaning

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

• kung fu vs. karate

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kung fu

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

In Sokolov’s “They Will Kill You,” written with Alex Litvak, that premise is combined with a Tarantino-esque taste for kung fu movies and nonlinear storytelling, as well as a “John Wick”-style quest for vengeance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 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

That afternoon, while Calista was in the bathroom, I told her I wanted to watch kung fu videos on Mom’s laptop, but I didn’t.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

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Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling

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