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

The kitchen scenes are a combo platter of boot camp, frat house hazing ritual and kung fu movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

My friends and I would rush home to find out if a sumo wrestler could beat a judo or kung fu master.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

Could a kung fu master beat a kickboxer?

From Slate ● Jun. 14, 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