English Dictionary

Definition of “fight”

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fight (faɪtPronunciation for fight) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: fights, fighting, fought
  1. to oppose or struggle against (an enemy) in battle
  2. to oppose or struggle against (a person, thing, cause, etc) in any manner
  3. (tr) to engage in or carry on (a battle, contest, etc)
  4. intr often foll by for to uphold or maintain (a cause, ideal, etc) by fighting or struggling  ⇒ to fight for freedom 
  5. (tr) to make or achieve (a way) by fighting
  6. (intr) boxing 
    1. to box, as for a living
    2. to use aggressive rough tactics
  7. to engage (another or others) in combat
  8. See fight it out
  9. See fight shy of

noun

  1. a battle, struggle, or physical combat
  2. a quarrel, dispute, or contest
  3. resistance (esp in the phrase to put up a fight)
  4. the desire to take part in physical combat (esp in the phrase to show fight)
  5. a boxing match

See also

fight back , fight off

Alternative Forms

ˈfighting noun adjective

Word Origin

Old English feohtan ; related to Old Frisian fiuchta , Old Saxon, Old High German fehtan to fight

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= oppose, campaign against dispute, contest, resist, defy, contend, withstand, stand up to, take issue with make a stand against
= strive, battle, push, struggle, contend,
= battle, assault, combat, war with go to war do battle, wage war take up arms, bear arms against engage in hostilities carry on war engage,
= engage in, conduct, wage, pursue, carry on,
= take the field, cross swords, taste battle
= brawl, clash, scrap, exchange blows struggle, row, tilt, wrestle, feud, grapple, tussle, joust, come to blows, lock horns, fight like Kilkenny cats,
= quarrel, argue, row, dispute, fall out, squabble, wrangle, bicker,
= box, spar with exchange blows with
= oppose, face, take on, resist, stand up to, take issue with speak against, take a stand against set your face against
= repress, control, check, master, silence, hold in, overcome, swallow, curb, suppress, restrain, inhibit, hold back, stifle, smother, overpower, muffle, bottle up, keep in check
= battle, campaign, movement, struggle,
= conflict, war, action, clash, contest, encounter, brush, combat, engagement, hostilities, skirmish, passage of arms
= brawl, set-to, riot, scrap, confrontation, rumble, fray, duel, skirmish, head-to-head, tussle, scuffle, free-for-all, fracas, altercation, dogfight, joust, dissension, affray, shindig, scrimmage, sparring match, exchange of blows shindy, melee or mêlée biffo, boilover,
= row, argument, dispute, quarrel, squabble,
= match, contest, bout, battle, competition, struggle, set-to, encounter, engagement, head-to-head, boxing match,
= resistance, spirit, pluck, militancy, mettle, belligerence, will to resist gameness, pluckiness,

Translations

  • British English: fight Pronunciation for fight A fight against something is an attempt to stop it....the fight against poverty.faɪt NOUN ...the fight against poverty.
  • Spanish: pelea Pronunciation for pelea nf
  • French: bagarre Pronunciation for bagarre nf
  • German: Kampf Pronunciation for Kampf nm Kämpfe
  • Chinese: 战斗Pronunciation for 战斗 n
  • Arabic: قِتَالPronunciation for قِتَال n
  • Portuguese: lutaPronunciation for luta nf
  • Russian: бойPronunciation for бой nm
  • Croatian: tučaPronunciation for tuča nf
  • Czech: bojPronunciation for boj nm
  • Danish: kampPronunciation for kamp nutr
  • Dutch: gevechtPronunciation for gevecht nnt
  • Finnish: taisteluPronunciation for taistelu n
  • Greek: μάχηPronunciation for μάχη nf
  • Italian: lottaPronunciation for lotta nf
  • Japanese: 戦いPronunciation for 戦い n
  • Korean: 싸움Pronunciation for 싸움 n
  • Norwegian: slagsmålPronunciation for slagsmål nnt
  • Polish: walkaPronunciation for walka nf
  • Brazilian Portuguese: lutaPronunciation for luta nf
  • European Spanish: pelea Pronunciation for pelea nf
  • Swedish: slagsmålPronunciation for slagsmål nnt
  • Thai: การต่อสู้Pronunciation for การต่อสู้ n
  • Turkish: dövüşPronunciation for dövüş n
  • Vietnamese: trận chiến đấuPronunciation for trận chiến đấu n
  • British English: fight Pronunciation for fight If you fight something unpleasant, you try in a determined way to prevent it or stop it happening.She has devoted her life to fighting poverty. I've spent a lifetime fighting against racism and prejudice.faɪt VERB She has devoted her life to fighting poverty. I've spent a lifetime fighting against racism and prejudice.
  • Spanish: luchar Pronunciation for luchar v
  • French: se battre Pronunciation for se battre vi
  • German: kämpfen Pronunciation for kämpfen v
  • Chinese: 对抗Pronunciation for 对抗 v
  • Arabic: يُقَاتِلُPronunciation for يُقَاتِلُ v
  • Portuguese: lutarPronunciation for lutar v
  • Russian: битьсяPronunciation for биться v
  • Croatian: tući sePronunciation for tući se v
  • Czech: bojovatPronunciation for bojovat v
  • Danish: kæmpePronunciation for kæmpe v
  • Dutch: vechtenPronunciation for vechten v
  • Finnish: taistellaPronunciation for taistella v
  • Greek: μάχομαιPronunciation for μάχομαι v
  • Italian: lottarePronunciation for lottare v
  • Japanese: 戦うPronunciation for 戦う v
  • Korean: 싸우다Pronunciation for 싸우다 v
  • Norwegian: slåssPronunciation for slåss v
  • Polish: wywalczyćPronunciation for wywalczyć v walczyć
  • Brazilian Portuguese: lutarPronunciation for lutar v
  • European Spanish: luchar Pronunciation for luchar v
  • Swedish: slåssPronunciation for slåss v
  • Thai: ต่อสู้Pronunciation for ต่อสู้ v
  • Turkish: dövüşmekPronunciation for dövüşmek v
  • Vietnamese: chiến đấuPronunciation for chiến đấu v

Usage examples

  • My Guard isn't going anywhere without me, least of all to some soggy battlefield to fight your wars for you.
    Jennifer Fallon, TREASON KEEP (2001)
  • Inside him, however, the lawyer was taking control and he felt himself steeling for the fight.
    Country Life (2005)
  • "He had stopped practising in Ireland at the end of 2000 to return to Britain to fight to clear his name.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • Indeed, a draw could well be the almost ideal result for both Currie and Jed as they fight the drop.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • Somehow Curtin was able to reverse the Labor policy that had prevented Australia from sending conscripts to fight overseas.
    Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'F'

Related Terms

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