fight

Use fight in a sentence

Two women having a fight.

noun

The definition of a fight is a contest or a struggle.
An example of a fight is a boxing match.

verb

To fight is defined as to participate in a physical or verbal disagreement, or to face something and struggle through it.
1. An example of to fight is for a teenager to argue with his mother over his curfew.
2. An example of to fight is to remain strong through a battle with cancer.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"fight." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight>.

APA Style

fight. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight

fight

intransitive verb

fought, fight′ing

1. to take part in a physical struggle or battle; struggle
2. to box, esp. professionally
to struggle or work hard in trying to beat or overcome someone or something; contend
to argue or quarrel; dispute: often with about or over

Origin of fight

Middle English fighten from Old English feohtan, akin to German fechten from Indo-European base an unverified form pek-, to pluck hair or wool from source Old English feoh (see fee) and Classical Latin pecten, a comb, pecu, cattle

1. to oppose physically or in battle, as with fists, weapons, etc.
2. to box with in a contest
to try to overcome; struggle against or contend with: to fight a head cold, legislation to fight poverty
to engage in or carry on (a war, conflict, case, etc.)
to gain by struggle: to fight one's way to the top
to cause to fight; manage (a boxer, gamecock, etc.)

a physical struggle; battle; combat
any struggle, contest, or quarrel
power or readiness to fight; pugnacious spirit: full of fight

Origin of fight

ME < OE feoht

fight Idioms

fight it out

to fight until one side is defeated

fight off

to repel an attack by
to struggle to avoid: to fight off starvation

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"fight." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight>.

APA Style

fight. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight

fight

verb

fought, fight·ing, fights

verb

intransitive

a. To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons.
b. Sports To engage in a boxing match.
To engage in a quarrel; argue: They are always fighting about money.
To strive vigorously and resolutely, as in trying to overcome something; contend: fought against graft; fighting for her rights. See Synonyms at oppose.

verb

transitive

a. To contend with or oppose with violence or in battle.
b. To wage or carry on (a battle).
c. To contend for, as by combat: “I now resolved that Calais should be fought to the death” ( Winston S. Churchill )
a. Sports To box against (an opponent).
b. To participate in (a boxing match or other similar contest).
c. To cause (a boxer or other contestant) to fight in a match.
a. To contend with or struggle against: fought his boss over every penny; fought temptation.
b. To try to prevent the development or success of: fought the attempt to close the school.
c. To try to extinguish (an uncontrolled fire).
To make (one's way) by struggle or striving: fought my way to the top.

noun

A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.
a. A physical conflict between two or more individuals.
b. Sports A boxing match.
A quarrel or conflict: newlyweds having a fight over chores.
A struggle to achieve an objective: a fight for the attainment of civil rights.
The power or inclination to fight; pugnacity: I just didn't have any fight left in me.

Phrasal Verbs: fight off To defend against or drive back (a hostile force, for example). Baseball To hit (a pitch) into foul territory, especially in an effort to avoid being struck out.

Origin of fight

Middle English fighten from Old English feohtan, fihtan

Related Forms:

fight′a·bil′i·ty
noun

fight′a·ble
adjective

fight′ing·ly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"fight." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight>.

APA Style

fight. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight

Verb

(third-person singular simple present fights, present participle fighting, simple past fought, past participle fought or (archaic) foughten)

(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.
(intransitive) To strive for; to campaign or contend for success.
He fought for the Democrats in the last election.
To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.).
The battle was fought just over that hill.
To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.
My grandfather fought the Nazis in World War II.
To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.
The government pledged to fight corruption.
(archaic) To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.
to fight cocks
to fight one's ship

Noun

(plural fights)

An occasion of fighting.
One of them got stabbed to death during the fight.
(archaic) A battle between opposing armies.
A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.
Watch your language, are you looking for a fight?
(sports) A boxing or martial arts match.
I'm going to Nick’s to watch the big fight tomorrow night.
A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.
I'll put up a fight to save this company.
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.

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.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"fight." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight>.

APA Style

fight. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/fight

fight

fight

fight

Sentence Examples

Also Mentioned In

WORDS NEAR fight IN THE DICTIONARY

fight

fight

fight

Sentence Examples

Also Mentioned In

WORDS NEAR fight IN THE DICTIONARY

Join YourDictionary today