battle
battle — noun
1. an organized fight using soldiers, weapons, ships, or planes, usually as part of
an organized fight using soldiers, weapons, ships, or planes, usually as part of a war between countries or armies.
The Battle of Waterloo ended the long war against Napoleon in 1815.
the Battle of [place] for named historical engagements
Many young soldiers from the village were killed in the battle.
killed/wounded in (the) battle
Three British ships were lost during a fierce sea battle off the coast.
sea/air/ground battle
General Lee led his troops into battle the next morning.
go/lead troops into battle
The two armies fought a long battle in the snowy mountains near the border.
fight a battle
- fierce battle
- bloody battle
- decisive battle
- naval battle
- die in battle
- the heat of battle
- combat
uncountable; covers fighting in general, not one named event
- engagement
formal military term for a single armed clash
- skirmish
small, brief fight between small units, not a full battle
Grammar Patterns
the battle of [place]
battle between [side] and [side]
Usage Note
Often appears with the definite article in named engagements ('the Battle of Hastings'). The phrase 'in battle' is uncountable and refers to the experience of combat in general, not one specific fight.
Common Mistakes
2. a long and difficult disagreement or contest between people, companies, or polit
a long and difficult disagreement or contest between people, companies, or political groups, often fought publicly through arguments, courts, or the media.
The two brothers are locked in a bitter legal battle over their father's house.
bitter/legal/court battle over [issue]
Senator Diaz won a tough election battle against the former mayor of Lima.
election/political battle against [opponent]
A public battle between the two record labels has delayed the release of the album.
public/media battle between [parties]
Local farmers have launched a battle against the new highway through their valley.
battle against [policy/decision]
The price battle between supermarkets is good news for shoppers in Taipei.
price/market battle between [companies]
- legal battle
- court battle
- political battle
- election battle
- custody battle
- battle over
- agreement
shared decision that ends the dispute
- compromise
settlement where both sides give up something
Grammar Patterns
a battle over [issue]
a battle between [party] and [party]
a legal/political/court battle
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense never refers to physical violence. The 'fighting' is verbal, legal, commercial, or political. Common with 'over' (the issue) and 'between' or 'against' (the parties).
Common Mistakes
3. a strong, lasting effort to deal with a serious problem such as an illness, pove
a strong, lasting effort to deal with a serious problem such as an illness, poverty, or addiction, when success is hard and far from certain.
Aunt Rosa lost her long battle with cancer last winter.
battle with [illness]; lose a battle = die
Sleeping only four hours a night, Hana faced a daily battle to stay awake at work.
a battle to + infinitive
The charity is still fighting an uphill battle against child hunger in rural areas.
uphill battle against [problem]
After the fire, rebuilding the small bakery was a constant battle for the Garcia family.
a constant battle for [people]
Zane has been winning his battle with depression thanks to therapy and his dog.
win/lose a battle with [illness]
- uphill battle
- losing battle
- ongoing battle
- battle with cancer
- daily battle
- win the battle
- surrender
giving up the effort
Grammar Patterns
a battle to do something
a battle against [problem]
a battle with [illness]
Usage Note
Subject is usually a person (or organisation) in a long, costly fight. 'Lose the battle with [illness]' is a common, gentle way of saying someone died of that illness. Distinguish from sense 2: here the opponent is a problem or condition, not another person or group.
Common Mistakes
to keep trying to do something even though you have very little chance of succeeding.
Trying to keep the kitchen clean with three young kids feels like fighting a losing battle.
The small bookshop is fighting a losing battle against the giant online retailers.
half the battle
idiomthe most important or hardest part of finishing a task, so that once you have done it the rest feels much easier.
Getting up early on cold mornings is half the battle of training for a marathon.
Admitting that you have a problem is half the battle in beating addiction.
to deal with your own problems and arguments without asking other people to help or protect you.
Gita's parents told her she was old enough to fight her own battles at school.
Ravi prefers to fight his own battles instead of going to the manager.
used to say that two groups have clearly shown which side they support and a serious conflict is about to begin.
With the new tax bill announced, the battle lines are drawn between farmers and the government.
Once the captains chose their teams, the battle lines were drawn for the school sports day.
join battle
idiomto start fighting or arguing seriously with someone, especially in a public or formal way.
The two law firms joined battle in court over the patent on Monday morning.
Opposition parties have joined battle with the prime minister over the new education law.
do battle
idiomto argue or compete strongly with someone, often over a long period of time.
Small farmers continue to do battle with large supermarket chains over fair prices.
Bao did battle with his insurance company for months before they paid his claim.
To fight or argue with someone about a particular issue.
Mia had to do battle with her landlord over the broken heater.
Did you really do battle with your brother over the last cookie?
To start fighting or arguing with someone.
The two teams joined battle on the soccer field at noon.
Sara joined battle with the committee over the new policy.
To try to do something that is very unlikely to succeed.
Tom knew he was fighting a losing battle against his addiction.
Is she fighting a losing battle by trying to change the rules?
battle — verb
1. to take part in a fight or armed conflict, especially against an enemy army or r
to take part in a fight or armed conflict, especially against an enemy army or rival group, usually for control or victory.
Roman legions battled the local tribes for control of the river crossing.
battle [opponent] for [goal]
Two boxers battled for twelve hard rounds before the judges chose a winner.
battle for [number] rounds/hours
Pirate ships battled with the British navy near the rocky coast of Jamaica.
battle with [opponent]
Rival gangs battled in the streets of the old city until the police arrived.
battle in [place]
The young knight battled bravely against three armed men outside the castle gate.
battle bravely/fiercely against [opponent]
- battle bravely
- battle fiercely
- battle for control
- battle the enemy
- battle in court (figurative)
Grammar Patterns
battle [opponent]
battle with/against [opponent]
battle for [goal]
Usage Note
Can be transitive ('battled the enemy') or intransitive with 'with/against'. Often used in news and historical writing to sound more dramatic than 'fight'. The doer is usually a group, army, or trained fighter rather than a casual brawler.
Common Mistakes
2. to work very hard over a long time to overcome a serious problem, illness, feeli
to work very hard over a long time to overcome a serious problem, illness, feeling, or unfair situation, often with no clear sign of winning.
Hana has been battling depression since he lost his job two years ago.
battle [illness/feeling]
The Watanabe family battled to save their bakery after the flood damaged the ovens.
battle to + infinitive
Doctors in the small clinic battled against rising rates of diabetes in the village.
battle against [social problem]
Zane battled with his shyness every time he had to speak in class.
battle with [personal weakness]
Aid workers are battling to deliver food and water to villages cut off by the storm.
battling to + infinitive (often progressive)
- battle cancer
- battle addiction
- battle to survive
- battle to keep
- battle bravely
Grammar Patterns
battle to do something
battle with/against [problem]
battle [illness]
Usage Note
Frequently in the progressive tense ('is battling cancer / is battling to finish'). Distinguish from sense 1: here the opponent is a problem, not a person. Common in news headlines about illness, addiction, poverty, or natural disasters.
Common Mistakes
battle on
phrasal verbto keep trying or fighting even when things are very hard and you feel tired or hopeless.
Despite losing two key players, the small football club battled on to the end of the season.
Gita was exhausted, but she battled on with her studies until the exam was over.
battle it out
phrasal verbto compete or argue strongly with someone until one side clearly wins.
The two chefs battled it out in the final round of the cooking show.
Lawyers from both companies will battle it out in court next month.
Word family
- battlefieldnounB2
- battlegroundnounC1
- battleshipnounB2
- embattledadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All five words involve organised fighting, but they sit at different levels of size, length, and formality. A 'war' is the whole long conflict between countries or sides; a 'battle' is one specific armed clash inside that war, often with a name and a date (the Battle of Midway). 'Combat' is uncountable and abstract — the experience of fighting itself, as in 'killed in combat'. A 'skirmish' is a small, brief fight between small units, much smaller than a battle. 'Engagement' is the formal military word for any single armed encounter, common in reports and history books. So a war contains many battles; a battle may involve several skirmishes; throughout all of them, soldiers are in combat. Choose 'battle' when you mean one defined fight large enough to matter.
Common collocations
Nouns
- battlefield
- battleground
- battle cry
- battle plan
- battle scars
Adverbs
- fiercely
- bravely
- valiantly
- publicly
- constantly
Phrases
- a battle of wits
- a battle of wills
- win the battle but lose the war
- into battle
- the heat of battle
Etymology
The English word 'battle' came in the 1200s from Old French 'bataille', meaning a fight or troop, which itself came from Late Latin 'battualia' — exercises with weapons. The Latin root 'battuere' meant 'to beat or strike'. The same root gave English 'batter' and 'combat'. Originally 'battle' meant only armed fighting, but from the 1500s onwards it widened to cover any hard struggle or contest, which is how we get modern uses like 'legal battle' or 'battle with cancer'.