fight
fight — verb
1. to attack or defend yourself against someone by hitting, pushing, or using other
to attack or defend yourself against someone by hitting, pushing, or using other physical actions, usually to win or protect yourself.
Two boys started to fight in the school playground over a basketball.
collocation: start to fight over [something]
Nora had to fight off a group of attackers who cornered her in the parking lot.
phrasal verb: fight off
The soldiers were ordered to fight until the enemy forces were completely defeated.
intransitive + until-clause
Amira refused to fight her younger brother because she knew it would only upset their mother.
transitive: fight + someone
- fight a battle
- fight a war
- fight an enemy
- fight someone off
- fight to the death
- fight back
- make peace
To end a fight or disagreement.
- surrender
To stop fighting and accept defeat.
Grammar Patterns
fight + someone
fight + with/against + someone
fight + for + something
Usage Note
Frequently used with 'against' (fight against an enemy) or 'with' (fight with someone). When the object is a person, 'fight' can be transitive (fight someone) or intransitive with a preposition (fight with someone).
Common Mistakes
2. to try very hard with all your energy to get something you want, change a bad si
to try very hard with all your energy to get something you want, change a bad situation, or prevent something bad from happening.
Christopher has been fighting for better working conditions at the factory for over a year.
collocation: fight for [a cause/goal]
Doctors fought to save the injured child's life after the car accident.
fight + to-infinitive for effort toward a goal
Local residents are fighting against the construction of a new highway through the forest.
collocation: fight against [something]
Nia fought her fear of heights and finally agreed to go rock climbing with her friends.
transitive: fight + abstract negative force
- fight for justice
- fight against poverty
- fight a disease
- fight a fire
- fight an election
- fight corruption
Grammar Patterns
fight + for + something
fight + against + something
fight + to + infinitive
fight + noun (e.g. disease, injustice)
Usage Note
Commonly used with abstract objects (fight poverty, fight disease, fight injustice). The pattern 'fight for [something]' emphasizes what you hope to gain, while 'fight against [something]' emphasizes what you oppose.
Common Mistakes
3. to speak angrily to someone because the two of you disagree about something.
to speak angrily to someone because the two of you disagree about something.
Sivan and her older sister fight about whose turn it is to wash the dishes.
collocation: fight about [topic]
The two politicians fought over the new tax plan during the live television debate.
collocation: fight over [topic]
Tyler and his roommate fought all weekend over the noise from their late-night parties.
Constanza fought with her parents about staying out past midnight on a school night.
fight with [someone] about [topic]
- fight about money
- fight over politics
- fight with a spouse
- fight loudly
Grammar Patterns
fight + with + someone + about/over + something
fight + about/over + something
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is always verbal — no physical contact. The prepositions 'about' and 'over' introduce the subject of disagreement, while 'with' introduces the other person.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'My parents always fight.' — This works but is ambiguous between physical (sense 1) and verbal (sense 3). Add context like 'about money' to clarify.
4. to compete as one of two opponents in a boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts
to compete as one of two opponents in a boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts match.
The heavyweight champion will fight his challenger at the big stadium next Saturday night.
transitive: fight + opponent
Haruto has been training for six months to fight in the national judo championship.
intransitive: fight in [competition]
Yael fought three matches in one day at the wrestling tournament and won them all.
transitive + quantity of matches
The retired champion decided to fight one last bout to raise money for charity.
fight + [noun for sporting contest]
- fight for the title
- fight in the ring
- fight a challenger
- fight a championship bout
Grammar Patterns
fight + someone + for + title
fight + in/at + event
Usage Note
Typically used for combat sports only (boxing, wrestling, MMA, judo). For team sports like football or basketball, use 'play', not 'fight'. Common in news reporting about upcoming boxing matches.
Common Mistakes
fight back
phrasal verbto defend yourself when someone attacks you physically or criticizes you, by using force or strong arguments.
When the bully pushed him against the lockers, Marco finally decided to fight back.
The senator fought back against the accusations by releasing all of her financial records.
fight off
phrasal verbto use force to make someone who is attacking you go away, or to try hard to get rid of something unpleasant.
The shopkeeper fought off the robbers with a baseball bat until the police arrived.
Brooke drank hot tea with honey to try to fight off a cold before the big presentation.
She fought off the urge to check her phone during the important meeting.
fight out
phrasal verbto fight or argue until a disagreement is settled, or to let people settle something by fighting or arguing.
The two lawyers will fight out the details of the contract in court next month.
Rather than stepping in, the referee let the players fight it out on the field.
fight down
phrasal verbTo try hard not to show or feel an emotion.
Brian fought down his anger during the argument.
She fought down the urge to laugh at his mistake.
fight it out
phrasal verbTo argue or compete until a clear winner is decided.
The two candidates fought it out in the debate.
Let them fight it out on the field.
to argue or fight very frequently and with strong emotions, usually about small things.
As children, Erik and his brother fought like cat and dog over every little toy.
The couple next door fight like cat and dog, but somehow they stay together year after year.
fight tooth and nail
idiomto try very hard and with great determination to achieve something or to oppose something.
The community fought tooth and nail to stop the factory from dumping waste in the river.
Leo fought tooth and nail to get the scholarship, studying every night until midnight.
to deal with your own problems or arguments without asking other people for help.
Mom told me I am old enough to fight my own battles at school instead of running to her.
The manager expects each team member to fight their own battles with difficult clients.
fight fire with fire
idiomto use the same methods as your opponent in an argument or competition, especially when those methods are aggressive or unfair.
When the competitor lowered their prices to steal customers, we decided to fight fire with fire.
To support or defend yourself or another person when others disagree.
Maya always fights her corner in team meetings.
Diego fought his brother's corner when the neighbors complained.
To try very hard to stay alive, especially after a serious injury or illness.
After the crash, the driver fought for his life in the hospital.
The young patient is fighting for her life against cancer.
To avoid doing or accepting something because you are not willing or confident.
Sara fights shy of public speaking whenever possible.
The manager fought shy of making a final decision.
To continue fighting until one side is completely defeated or dead.
The two rivals fought to the death in the final match.
The soldiers were ready to fight to the finish.
Used to say that although you have failed or suffered, you will continue trying.
We lost the contract, but we live to fight another day.
After the defeat, the coach said they would live to fight another day.
To try to do something that is very unlikely to succeed.
Min is fighting a losing battle against his messy desk.
She knew it was a losing battle to convince them.
fight — noun
1. a situation in which people attack each other physically or shout at each other
a situation in which people attack each other physically or shout at each other angrily because they disagree or feel angry.
A fight broke out between two fans in the stadium after the final whistle.
collocation: a fight breaks out
Andrew got into a fight outside the nightclub and ended up with a black eye.
collocation: get into a fight
Lisa and her colleague had a terrible fight about who should take credit for the project.
collocation: have a fight about
The teacher separated the two children before their fight in the classroom got worse.
noun: physical fight between children
- a fight breaks out
- have a fight
- get into a fight
- pick a fight
- start a fight
- lose a fight
- win a fight
- a street fight
Grammar Patterns
have + a fight
get into + a fight
pick + a fight
a fight + breaks out
Usage Note
Can refer to both physical and verbal confrontations. Context determines which is meant: 'had a fight' often implies verbal when the people involved are not described as physically aggressive.
Common Mistakes
2. an occasion when someone works very hard and uses all their energy to reach a go
an occasion when someone works very hard and uses all their energy to reach a goal, change things, or stop something bad from happening.
The fight for racial equality has made real progress over the past fifty years.
collocation: fight for [social cause]
Doctors say her fight against cancer inspired everyone in the hospital.
collocation: fight against [disease]
The team put up a good fight despite being far behind, and they almost tied the score.
collocation: put up a fight
The fight against poverty requires more investment in education and job training.
collocation: the fight against [social problem]
- a fight for freedom
- a fight against injustice
- a fight for survival
- the fight against crime
- put up a fight
- a losing fight
- surrender
The act of accepting defeat without further effort.
Grammar Patterns
a fight + for + something
a fight + against + something
put up + a fight
Usage Note
Often used in political, social, or medical contexts. 'A fight for [something]' emphasizes the goal; 'a fight against [something]' emphasizes the opposition. 'Put up a fight' is a fixed phrase meaning to resist despite likely defeat.
3. a boxing match or other combat-sports contest between two athletes who compete t
a boxing match or other combat-sports contest between two athletes who compete to win by knocking out or outscoring the opponent.
The championship fight between the two boxers sold out the arena in just two hours.
collocation: championship fight
Zayd has tickets to watch the big fight at the stadium this weekend.
informal: big fight = major boxing event
The referee stopped the fight in the fifth round when the challenger could not defend himself.
a fight is stopped by the referee
The two women fought a tough fight that lasted all twelve rounds of the match.
fight a fight: cognate object structure
- a championship fight
- a title fight
- a prize fight
- the main fight
- watch a fight
- win a fight
- lose a fight
Grammar Patterns
a fight + between + two fighters
a fight + for + the title
Usage Note
Unlike the verb sense 4, this noun is rarely used for non-combat sports. For non-combat sports, use 'match' or 'game'. In informal contexts, 'the big fight' can refer to any major boxing match everyone is talking about.
4. the strong desire, energy, and refusal to give up that keeps someone trying when
the strong desire, energy, and refusal to give up that keeps someone trying when a situation is very difficult.
The young tennis player lost the first two sets but showed great fight and came back to win.
uncountable: show fight = show determination
The old boxer may have lost his speed, but he still has plenty of fight left in him.
idiomatic: have fight left in [someone]
The coach praised the team for their fight and spirit even though they lost the match.
uncountable noun paired with 'spirit'
Despite the huge setback, the rescue workers continued their work with real fight.
uncountable: with [adjective] fight
- show fight
- full of fight
- have fight in [someone]
- lack fight
- fighting spirit
- spirit
Emphasizes courage and enthusiasm; broader than 'fight'.
- determination
Focuses on the resolve to keep going; more neutral in register.
- tenacity
Formal; the quality of holding firmly to a goal despite obstacles.
Grammar Patterns
have + fight + in + someone
full of + fight
Usage Note
Always uncountable in this sense. Often appears in the fixed expression 'fight in someone' (e.g. 'there is still fight in him'). Do not use with an article: 'a fight' in this sense would be interpreted as sense 1 or 2.
Common Mistakes
to deliberately start an argument or physical fight with someone, often for no good reason.
Drunk fans were trying to pick a fight with anyone wearing the opposing team's shirt.
Rachel always picks a fight with her brother when she is in a bad mood after school.
a competition or argument that continues until one side is completely defeated.
The election turned into a fight to the finish between the two leading candidates.
fight for your life
idiomto make a very great effort to stay alive when you are severely injured or very ill.
After the heart attack, Mr. Okonkwo spent three weeks in the hospital fighting for his life.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All five words involve opposition, but they differ in scale, formality, and usage. 'Fight' is the most general and informal — it covers everything from a playground scuffle to a war, and can be physical, verbal, or metaphorical. 'Battle' usually implies a larger, organized confrontation, often military ('the Battle of Waterloo'), and is common in metaphorical use ('a battle against cancer'). 'Combat' is more formal and technical, typically referring to armed or hand-to-hand fighting in military or martial-arts contexts ('hand-to-hand combat'). 'Struggle' emphasizes difficulty and effort rather than violence — you can struggle to open a jar or struggle with a decision. 'Conflict' is the broadest and most formal, covering everything from armed wars to internal psychological disagreements ('a conflict of interest'). If you are describing two people physically attacking each other in everyday English, 'fight' is the natural choice ('they got into a fight'). For a long, difficult effort against a disease, use 'battle' or 'struggle'. In military or law-enforcement reports, 'combat' sounds more professional. 'Conflict' is best reserved for formal contexts like international relations or workplace disagreements.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'fight' comes from Old English 'feohtan' (verb), which meant 'to combat, struggle, make war'. It goes back to Proto-Germanic '*fehtaną', and is related to Old High German 'fehtan' (modern German 'fechten', meaning 'to fence'). These Germanic words ultimately come from the Proto-Indo-European root '*peḱ-', which meant 'to pluck, cut, or shear'. The original sense may have involved cutting or tearing — a physical, hands-on kind of fighting. Over many centuries, the meaning expanded from literal physical combat to include verbal arguments, sports competitions, and all kinds of determined efforts against difficulties. The noun form developed naturally from the verb in Old English as 'feohte' (a fight, battle, or struggle).