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

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

Could a kung fu master beat a kickboxer?

From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026

And her explanation of why she loves anime is very similar to the philosophies that drew RZA to kung fu movies and, eventually, Asian philosophies and martial arts.

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

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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