fight
Other forms: fighting; fought; fights
When you fight, you dispute or argue. Everyone disagrees from time to time, but it's sad when close friends fight.
The verb fight means to engage in a struggle that involves conflict — and as a noun, fight is the conflict itself. A fight can take a physical form, like a boxing match or a playground skirmish, or it can happen with words, like a fight over politics. The ancient root of fight comes from the Proto-Indo-European prefix pek, meaning "to pluck out." Picture a hair-pulling fight, and this makes complete sense.
Definitions of fight
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be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight“the tribesmen fought each other”“Siblings are always fighting”
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types:
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bear down
exert full strength
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fistfight
fight with the fists
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join battle
engage in a conflict
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tug
struggle in opposition
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defend, fight back, fight down, oppose
fight against or resist strongly
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get back, settle
get one's revenge for a wrong or an injury
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fight back
defend oneself
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battle, combat
battle or contend against in or as if in a battle
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war
make or wage war
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assail, attack
launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
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duel
fight a duel, as over one's honor or a woman
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joust
joust against somebody in a tournament by fighting on horseback
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chicken-fight, chickenfight
fight while sitting on somebody's shoulders
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tourney
engage in a tourney
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feud
carry out a feud
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skirmish
engage in a skirmish
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bandy
exchange blows
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fence
fight with sword-like foils
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box
engage in a boxing match
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spar
fight with spurs
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scuffle, tussle
fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters
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wrestle
engage in a wrestling match
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engage, wage
carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)
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recalcitrate
show strong objection or repugnance; manifest vigorous opposition or resistance; be obstinately disobedient
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dogfight
engage in an aerial battle with another fighter plane
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wrestle
combat to overcome an opposing tendency or force
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blitzkrieg
fight a quick and surprising war
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go to war, take arms, take up arms
commence hostilities
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fend, resist, stand
withstand the force of something
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hold out, resist, stand firm, withstand
stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something
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submarine
attack by submarine
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pelt, pepper
attack and bombard with or as if with missiles
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tilt
charge with a tilt
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hit, strike
make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target
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counterattack, counterstrike
make a counterattack
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gas
attack with gas; subject to gas fumes
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storm, surprise
attack by storm; attack suddenly
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blitz
attack suddenly and without warning
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invade, occupy
march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation
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beleaguer, besiege, circumvent, hem in, surround
surround so as to force to give up
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drive back, fight off, rebuff, repel, repulse
force or drive back
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bomb, bombard
throw bombs at or attack with bombs
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strafe
attack with machine guns or cannon fire from a low-flying plane
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cannonade
attack with cannons or artillery
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torpedo
attack or hit with torpedoes
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block, deflect, parry
impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball)
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spar
box lightly
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prizefight
box for a prize or money
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shadowbox
go through boxing motions without an opponent
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mud-wrestle, mudwrestle
wrestle in mud
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offer, provide, put up
mount or put up
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bust, raid
search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on
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fight against or resist strongly“Don't fight it!”
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synonyms:
defend, fight back, fight down, oppose
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types:
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recalcitrate
show strong objection or repugnance; manifest vigorous opposition or resistance; be obstinately disobedient
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fend, resist, stand
withstand the force of something
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hold out, resist, stand firm, withstand
stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something
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drive back, fight off, rebuff, repel, repulse
force or drive back
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stand out
be stubborn in resolution or resistance
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stand up
refuse to back down; remain solid under criticism or attack
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outbrave
resist bravely
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hold off
resist and fight to a standoff
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remain firm, stand
hold one's ground; maintain a position; be steadfast or upright
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defy, hold, hold up, withstand
resist or confront with resistance
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make a strenuous or labored effort
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exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for
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the act of fighting; any contest or struggle“a fight broke out at the hockey game”“there was fighting in the streets”
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types:
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gunfight, gunplay, shootout
a fight involving shooting small arms with the intent to kill or frighten
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brush, clash, encounter, skirmish
a minor short-term fight
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close-quarter fighting
hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters
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dogfight
a violent fight between dogs (sometimes organized illegally for entertainment and gambling)
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fencing
the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules)
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faction, in-fighting
conflict between members of the same organization (usually concealed from outsiders)
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set-to
a brief but vigorous fight
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impact, shock
the violent interaction of individuals or groups entering into combat
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dogfight, hassle, rough-and-tumble, scuffle, tussle
disorderly fighting
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affaire d'honneur, duel
a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor
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fistfight, fisticuffs, slugfest
a fight with bare fists
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banging, battering
the act of subjecting to strong attack
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beating, whipping
the act of overcoming or outdoing
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affray, disturbance, fray, ruffle
a noisy fight
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brawl, free-for-all
a noisy fight in a crowd
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cut-and-thrust, knife fight, snickersnee
fighting with knives
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gang fight, rumble
a fight between rival gangs of adolescents
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single combat
a fight between two people
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contretemps
an awkward clash
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punch-up
a fistfight
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a boxing or wrestling match“the fight was on television last night”
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type of:
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boxing, fisticuffs, pugilism
fighting with the fists
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boxing, fisticuffs, pugilism
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an intense verbal dispute“a violent fight over the bill is expected in the Senate”
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type of:
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arguing, argument, contention, contestation, controversy, disceptation, disputation, tilt
a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
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arguing, argument, contention, contestation, controversy, disceptation, disputation, tilt
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a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
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synonyms:
battle, conflict, engagement
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examples:
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Battle of Britain
the prolonged bombardment of British cities by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and the aerial combat that accompanied it
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Drogheda
in 1649 the place was captured by Oliver Cromwell, who massacred the Catholic inhabitants
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Armageddon
any catastrophically destructive battle
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pitched battle
a fierce battle fought in close combat between troops in predetermined positions at a chosen time and place
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naval battle
a pitched battle between naval fleets
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armed combat, combat
an engagement fought between two military forces
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dogfight
an aerial engagement between fighter planes
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assault
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
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resisting arrest
physical efforts to oppose a lawful arrest; the resistance is classified as assault and battery upon the person of the police officer attempting to make the arrest
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belligerency, hostilities
fighting; acts of overt warfare
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trench warfare
a type of armed combat in which the opposing troops fight from trenches that face each other
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storm
a direct and violent assault on a stronghold
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aggression
the act of initiating hostilities
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type of:
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action, military action
a military engagement
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Battle of Britain
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an aggressive willingness to compete“the team was full of fight”
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synonyms:
competitiveness
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type of:
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aggressiveness
the quality of being bold and enterprising
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aggressiveness
Pronunciation
US
/faɪt/
UK
/faɪt/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘fight'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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