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

After one victory, he was congratulated by the Hong Kong martial-arts star Bruce Lee, who taught him kung fu techniques.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Tesla’s Optimus, which stands about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds, has evolved from dancing in a suit, to serving drinks while controlled remotely, to learning kung fu.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Shaolin Temple also came under fire in 2015 over a plan to build a nearly $300m temple complex which also included a hotel, a kung fu school and a golf course.

From BBC • Jul. 28, 2025

Also to Mexico, and a Korean martial arts school pulled straight out of some old Shaw Brothers kung fu movie, which doesn’t make sense culturally, but consider what we’re discussing.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2025

After skimming the introduction, Matthew said, “There’s nothing in here about my awesome kung fu moves to stop Mr. Remora!”

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling