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

Any kid who grew up in a major city in the ‘70s and ‘80s probably remembers their version of the kind of rundown joints that played kung fu movies nonstop.

From Salon • May 31, 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

"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

“I mean, you don’t have to make it sound like a bad kung fu movie, but yeah, something like that. We been looking for her, but there’s no clues, no sign, nothin’...”

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling