Fight

Pronunciation

• enPR: fÄ«t, IPA: /faɪt/
• US IPA: fʌɪt
• Rhymes: -aɪt

Origin

From Middle English fighten, from Old English feohtan ("to fight, combat, strive"), from Proto-Germanic *fehtaną ("to comb, tease, shear"), from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- ("to comb, shear"). Cognate with Scots fecht ("to fight"), West Frisian fjochtsje, fjuchte ("to fight"), Dutch vechten ("to fight"), Low German fechten ("to fight"), German fechten ("to fight, fence"), Latin pectō ("comb, thrash", verb.), Albanian pjek ("to hit, strive, fight"), Ancient Greek πέκω (pékō, "comb or card wool", verb.). Related also to Old English feht ("wool, shaggy pelt, fleece").

The noun is from Old English feoht, from the verb; compare Dutch gevecht and German Gefecht.

Full definition of fight

Verb

1. (intransitive) To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc.
   The two boxers have been fighting for more than half an hour.
   A wounded animal will fight like a maniac.
2. (intransitive) To strive for; to campaign or contend for success.
   He fought for the Democrats in the last election.
• 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 7, Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern. Then, for a jiffy, I hung on and fought for breath.
3. (transitive) To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.).
   The battle was fought just over that hill.
• MacaulayHe had to fight his way through the world.
• Bible, 2 Timothy iv. 7I have fought a good fight.
4. (transitive) To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.
   My grandfather fought the Nazis in World War II.
5. (transitive) To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.
   The government pledged to fight corruption.
6. (transitive, archaic) To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.
   to fight cocks
   to fight one's ship

Synonyms

Derived terms

Noun

1. An occasion of fighting.
   One of them got stabbed to death during the fight.
2. (archaic) A battle between opposing armies.
3. A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.
   Watch your language, are you looking for a fight?
4. (sports) A boxing or martial arts match.
   I'm going to Nick’s to watch the big fight tomorrow night.
5. A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 18, ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police …? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?
• 2013-08-10, A new prescription, As the world's drug habit shows, governments are failing in their quest to monitor every London window-box and Andean hillside for banned plants. But even that Sisyphean task looks easy next to the fight against synthetic drugs.
6. I'll put up a fight to save this company.
7. The will or ability to fight.
   That little guy has a bit of fight in him after all.   As soon as he saw the size of his opponent, all the fight went out of him.
8. (obsolete) A screen for the combatants in ships.
• DrydenUp with your fights, and your nettings prepare.

Synonyms

Derived terms