fighter

fighter — noun

1. a person who uses their body or weapons to fight an opponent, whether in war, a

1.nounB1
Definition

a person who uses their body or weapons to fight an opponent, whether in war, a street confrontation, or a combat sport like boxing

Example

A skilled fighter knows when to strike and when to step back.

fighter + skill/combat context

Amihan trained for two years before her first match as a professional fighter.

professional fighter — career or sport context

Common collocations
  • freedom fighter
  • resistance fighter
  • professional fighter
  • street fighter
  • skilled fighter
  • trained fighter
  • fighter in the ring
Synonyms
  • warrior

    more historical or epic — suggests a fighter bound by a code of honour, not used for modern professional athletes

  • soldier

    a member of a formal army; narrower in scope than fighter

  • combatant

    more formal or legal term for anyone engaged in armed conflict

Antonyms
  • pacifist

    someone who opposes fighting and violence

  • civilian

    a person who is not a member of the military or a fighting force

Grammar Patterns

fighter + for + cause/group

fighter + in + conflict/war

adjective + fighter

Usage Note

Can refer to professional combat sports athletes as well as soldiers in battle. Frequently appears in compounds — freedom fighter, resistance fighter, street fighter — which narrow the type of conflict.

Common Mistakes

The fighter drove a tank across the desert.
The soldier drove a tank across the desert.
Fighter is a general word for someone who fights; soldier refers specifically to a member of an official army.

2. a person who keeps trying to achieve something despite problems, disappointments

2.nounB1
Definition

a person who keeps trying to achieve something despite problems, disappointments, or lack of success

Example

Iris proved she was a fighter after losing her job and home in one month.

proved + be a fighter — resilience after setbacks

Nurses at the clinic call Sivan a fighter because she never missed a single treatment.

call + someone + a fighter — describing determination

Common collocations
  • true fighter
  • real fighter
  • born fighter
  • natural fighter
  • proved to be a fighter
  • fighter at heart
Synonyms
  • survivor

    focuses on having lived through hardship; less active than fighter

  • trier

    British English, more everyday — someone who makes an effort without the heroic tone of fighter

  • champion

    someone who fights for a cause or supports others; can overlap with sense 2

Antonyms
  • quitter

    someone who gives up easily — the direct opposite of a fighter

Grammar Patterns

a + adjective + fighter

be + a fighter

call/describe + someone + as + a fighter

Usage Note

Used as a compliment. The person does not need to be in a literal fight — the word applies to any difficult situation such as illness, financial hardship, or personal setbacks. Common with adjectives: true fighter, real fighter, born fighter.

Common Mistakes

She is a fighter who always gives up easily.
She is a fighter who never gives up.
Calling someone a fighter means they keep going through difficulties; the first sentence contradicts itself.

3. a fast military aeroplane designed to attack and shoot down other aircraft in th

3.nounB2
Definition

a fast military aeroplane designed to attack and shoot down other aircraft in the sky

Example

A black fighter jet flew low over the valley before climbing sharply into the clouds.

fighter jet — compound noun identifying the aircraft

Xiu watched four fighter planes take off from the aircraft carrier at sunrise.

fighter planes — carrier-based military context

Common collocations
  • fighter jet
  • fighter plane
  • fighter pilot
  • fighter squadron
  • stealth fighter
  • fighter aircraft
  • fighter wing
Synonyms
  • warplane

    broader term covering both fighters and bombers

  • interceptor

    a specific type of fighter designed to chase and stop approaching enemy planes

Grammar Patterns

fighter + noun (jet / plane / aircraft / pilot)

adjective + fighter (stealth fighter, modern fighter)

Usage Note

The full forms fighter jet, fighter plane, and fighter aircraft are common in everyday speech. Using fighter alone may cause confusion with sense 1, so context is important. Common in military and aviation reporting.

Common Mistakes

The fighter parked on the runway to refuel.
The fighter jet parked on the runway to refuel.
Without 'jet' or 'plane', readers may think of a person rather than an aircraft.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Warrior, soldier, combatant, boxer, and fighter all describe people who fight, but they highlight different contexts. Warrior suggests a historical or epic fighter who may live by a code of honour — think of a samurai or a Viking. Soldier refers specifically to a member of an official army or military force. Combatant is a more formal or legal term for anyone engaged in armed conflict, regardless of which side they are on. Boxer is a specific type of fighter who competes in a ring using only their fists under a set of rules. Fighter is the broadest of the five, covering everyone from soldiers in battle to professional athletes in combat sports. For example: 'The ancient warrior carried a bronze sword.' 'She served as a soldier for twelve years.' 'Both combatants were injured during the skirmish.' 'The boxer knocked out his opponent in the third round.' 'The young fighter showed great courage in the ring.'

warrior ↗soldier ↗combatantboxer ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • put up a fight
  • fight to the end

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Fighter comes from the Old English verb feohtan, which meant 'to fight,' combined with the suffix -er (used to form nouns meaning 'a person who does something'). The word has been used for someone who engages in physical combat since the 1300s. The sense of a fast military aircraft did not appear until the early 1900s, during World War I, when planes were first built specifically to attack other planes in the sky.