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fight

1 of 2

verb

fought ˈfȯt How to pronounce fight (audio) ; fighting
Synonyms of fightnext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to contend in battle or physical combat
especially : to strive to overcome a person by blows or weapons
The soldiers fought bravely.
b
: to engage in boxing
He will fight for the heavyweight title next month.
2
: to put forth a determined effort
They were fighting to stay awake.

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to contend against in or as if in battle or physical combat
fought the invaders of his homeland
was fighting a forest fire
(2)
: to box against in the ring
fought several strong contenders
b(1)
: to attempt to prevent the success or effectiveness of
the company fought the takeover attempt
(2)
: to oppose the passage or development of
fight a bill in Congress
2
a
: wage, carry on
fight a battle
b
: to take part in (a boxing match or similar contest)
3
: to struggle to endure or surmount
fight a cold
is fighting cancer
4
a
: to gain by struggle
fights his way through
b
: to resolve by struggle
fought out their differences in court
5
a
: to manage (a ship) in a battle or storm
b
: to cause to struggle or contend
c
: to manage in an unnecessarily rough or awkward manner

fight

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a hostile encounter : battle, combat
b
: a boxing match
c
: a verbal disagreement : argument
2
: a struggle for a goal or an objective
a fight for justice
3
: strength or disposition for fighting : pugnacity
still full of fight
Phrases
fight shy of
: to avoid facing or meeting

Examples of fight in a Sentence

Verb When he was young he was always fighting. He fought like a tiger. The U.S. and Germany fought in World Wars I and II. They vowed to fight the invaders of their homeland. The U.S. fought Germany in World Wars I and II. He and his wife are always fighting over money. We were fighting to protect our jobs. Noun A fight broke out in the bar. When he was young he was always getting into fights. He got into another fight with his wife about money. a fight for the heavyweight title
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Help fight growing issues in cats such as diabetes, kidney disease and obesity. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025 Don’t leave your family to fight this battle without you. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Noun
In this game, progress relies on both players having an equal footing throughout and taking on a variety of challenges, from dealing with dragons to aerial fights that cannot be completed solo. Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025 The fight was sanctioned by all four of the major sanctioning bodies, including the World Boxing Association (WBA), the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), qualifying the fight as an undisputed title bout. Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fight

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English feohtan; akin to Old High German fehtan to fight and perhaps to Latin pectere to comb — more at pectinate

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fight was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

fight

1 of 2 verb
fought ˈfȯt How to pronounce fight (audio) ; fighting
1
a
: to struggle against another in battle or physical combat
2
: to try hard
fighting to stay awake
3
a
: to act for or against : struggle, contend
fight for the right
fight a fire
fight discrimination
b
: to attempt to prevent the success or effectiveness of
fight off a cold

fight

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a violent struggle between opposing forces : combat, battle
b
: a boxing match
c
: a verbal disagreement
2
: a struggle for a goal or an objective
in a fight for their lives
3
: strength or disposition for fighting
full of fight

More from Merriam-Webster on fight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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