fight

Pronunciation

• enPR: fīt, IPA^(key): /faɪt/

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• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): [fʌɪt]

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• Rhymes: -aɪt

Fight (brawl)

Etymology

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”), Swedish fäkta (“to fence, to fight (using blade weapons), to wave vigorously (and carelessly) with one's arms”), 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.

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc.

   A wounded animal will fight like a maniac, relentless, savage and murderous.

2. (reciprocal) To contend in physical conflict with each other, either singly or in war, battle etc.

   The two boxers have been fighting for more than half an hour.

3. (intransitive) To strive for; to campaign or contend for success.

   He fought for the Democrats in the last election.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 7, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern. Then, for a jiffy, I hung on and fought for breath.

   • 2014 July 5, “Freedom fighter”, in The Economist, volume 412, number 8894:

     [Edmund] Burke continued to fight for liberty later on in life. He backed Americans in their campaign for freedom from British taxation. He supported Catholic freedoms and freer trade with Ireland, in spite of his constituents’ ire. He wanted more liberal laws on the punishment of debtors.

4. (transitive) To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.).

   The battle was fought just over that hill.

   • Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859)

     He had to fight his way through the world.

   • Bible, 2 Timothy iv. 7

     I have fought a good fight.

5. (transitive) To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.

   My grandfather fought the Nazis in World War II.

6. (transitive) To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.

   The government pledged to fight corruption.

   • 2014, Ann Aguirre, The Shape of My Heart, page 42:

     I fought a sneeze as Max took my hand and led me into the chapel.

7. (transitive, archaic) To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.

   to fight cocks;  to fight one's ship

Noun

fight (plural fights)

1. An occasion of fighting.

   One of them got stuck in a chokehold and got stabbed to death during the fight.

2. (archaic) A battle between opposing armies.
3. A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.

   Watch your language, are you looking for a fight?

4. (sports) A boxing or martial arts match.

   I'm going to Nick’s to watch the big fight tomorrow night.

5. A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess‎:

     ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?

   • 2013 August 10, “A new prescription”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     As the world's drug habit shows, governments are failing in their quest to monitor every London window-box and Andean hillside for banned plants. But even that Sisyphean task looks easy next to the fight against synthetic drugs.

   I'll put up a fight to save this company.

6. 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.

7. (obsolete) A screen for the combatants in ships.
   • Dryden

     Up with your fights, and your nettings prepare.