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

See Examples For:

kung fu

He joined Han's martial arts school as a teenager, drawn by his love of kung fu films.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

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

The kung fu and the coaching change have both paid off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

A few minutes into our first conversation, I knew Aech was the real deal, an elite gunter with some serious mental kung fu.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling