fight
[verb]
Synonyms:
- battle, box, clash, combat, do battle, grapple, spar, struggle, tussle, wrestle
- oppose, contest, defy, dispute, make a stand against, resist, stand up to, withstand
- engage in, carry on, conduct, prosecute, wage
[noun]
Synonyms:
- conflict, battle, clash, contest, dispute, duel, encounter, struggle, tussle
- resistance, belligerence, militancy, pluck, spirit

---

Contrasted words: bow, capitulate, submit, succumb, yield, abide, bear, endure, suffer, advocate, back, champion, support, uphold, defend, guard, protect, shield
Related Idioms: mix it, mix it up, put up a fight
Related Words: strive, struggle, rowdy, scuffle, tussle, debate, dispute, altercate, bicker, quarrel, scrap, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle

---

English Thesaurus: fight, battle, scuffle, punch-up, brawl, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. fight¹ S1 W1 /faɪt/ verb (past tense and past participle fought /fɔːt $ fɒːt/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: feohtan]

1. WAR [intransitive and transitive] to take part in a war or battle
fight in
the families of those who fought in the war
fight against/with
rebel forces fighting against the Russians
fight about/over/for
They fought for control of the islands.
Neither country is capable of fighting a long war.
Later the Indians fought the Anglo settlers.

2. HIT PEOPLE [intransitive and transitive] if someone fights another person, or if two people fight, they hit and kick the other person in order to hurt them
fight with
Two guys were fighting with each other in the street.
fight about/over/for
They were fighting over a girl.
She fought him desperately, kicking and biting.

3. TRY TO DO SOMETHING [intransitive and transitive] to try hard to do or get something
fight for
The men were fighting for higher wages.
Stockley is fighting for his life (=trying to stay alive), with serious head injuries.
She fought her way back into the first team.
fight to do something
The president was fighting to survive.

4. PREVENT SOMETHING [intransitive and transitive] to try very hard to prevent something or to get rid of something unpleasant that already exists
fight against
People are fighting against repression and injustice.
We will fight terrorism, wherever it exists.

5. COMPETE [intransitive and transitive] to take part in an election or compete strongly for something, especially a job or political position
fight an election/a campaign
The prime minister decided to fight an early general election.
fight (somebody) for something
He had to fight several other applicants for the job.
Both men were used to fighting for power.

6. ARGUE [intransitive] to argue about something
fight with
I heard her fighting with the boss.
fight about/over
They’re fighting about who should do the dishes.

7. SPORT [intransitive and transitive] to take part in a boxing match:
Ali fought Foreman for the heavyweight title.

8. EMOTION [intransitive and transitive] to try very hard not to have or show a feeling:
She fought her fear.
fight with
She was clearly fighting with her emotions.

9. LAW [transitive] to try to get something or prevent something in a court of law:
The insurance company are fighting the claims in court.

10. fight your way (through/past etc somebody/something) to move somewhere with difficulty, for example because there are so many people around you:
We fought our way through the crowd.

11. fight a losing battle to try to do something that you probably cannot succeed in doing:
I’m fighting a losing battle on this diet.

12. have a fighting chance to have a chance to do something or achieve something if you try very hard:
Lewis has a fighting chance to win the gold medal.

13. fight tooth and nail (for something)/fight something tooth and nail to try very hard to do or achieve something, or to prevent something:
He’s rich now, but he had to fight tooth and nail for it.

14. fight to the death/finish to fight until one person or group is dead or completely defeated

15. fight your own battles to fight for what you want, without needing help from other people:
Mum, I can fight my own battles now.

16. fighting spirit the desire to fight or win:
In the second half the team showed their true fighting spirit.

17. fighting words/talk something you say that shows that you want to fight hard for something

18. fight fire with fire to use the same methods as your opponents in an argument, competition etc

19. fight like cat and dog if two people fight like cat and dog, they argue a lot because they dislike each other or disagree:
I didn’t get on with her at work either – we fought like cat and dog.

20. fighting fit British English extremely fit and healthy

21. fight your corner British English to try to persuade people that your ideas about something are right and should be accepted:
The Prime Minister made it clear that Britain would fight its corner on Europe.

22. fight shy of (doing) something British English to try to avoid doing something or being involved in something:
Many women fight shy of motherhood.
fight back phrasal verb

1. to work hard to achieve or oppose something, especially in a situation where you are losing:
United fought back and scored a last-minute goal.
fight back against
She was fighting back against the cancer.

2. to use violence or arguments against someone who has attacked you or argued with you:
The rebels are fighting back.

3. fight something ↔ back to try hard not to have or show a feeling:
She looked away, fighting back her tears.
He fought back the impulse to slap her.
fight something ↔ down phrasal verb
to try hard not to have or show a feeling:
Doug fought down a feeling of panic.
fight somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb

1. to keep someone away, or stop them doing something to you, by fighting or opposing them:
Bodyguards had to fight off the crowds.
The company managed to fight off a takeover attempt.

2. to succeed in stopping other people getting something, and to get it for yourself:
Allan fought off stiff competition from throughout the UK to win one of only four places at the college.

3. to try hard to get rid of something, especially an illness or a feeling:
Elaine’s fighting off a cold.
fight something out phrasal verb
to argue or fight until a disagreement is settled:
We left them to fight it out.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. fight² S2 W3 noun

1. PEOPLE HIT EACH OTHER [countable] a situation in which two people or groups hit, push etc each other:
Her son was always getting into fights at school.
fight with
They ended up having a fight with each other.
fight between
A fight broke out between the fans.
fight over/about
fights over territory

2. TO ACHIEVE/PREVENT SOMETHING [singular] the process of trying to achieve something or prevent something
fight for
the fight for justice and democracy
The little girl lost her fight for life (=fight to stay alive) last night.
fight against
the fight against crime
fight to do something
the fight to get financial aid
You’ll have a fight on your hands (=it will be difficult) to convince the committee.

3. ARGUMENT [countable] an argument
fight with
They’ve had a fight with the neighbours.
fight over/about
fights over money

4. BOXING [countable] a boxing match:
Are you going to watch the big fight tonight?

5. BATTLE [countable] a battle between two armies
fight for
the fight for Bunker Hill

6. ENERGY [uncountable] energy or the desire to keep fighting for something you want:
There’s plenty of fight left in your grandmother.

7. put up a good fight to work very hard to fight or compete in a difficult situation:
Our team put up a good fight.

8. a fight to the death/finish a fight that continues until one side is completely defeated

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

fight
noun
I. struggle using physical force
ADJ. big | fierce, furious | real Suddenly the argument developed into a real fight.
good There's nothing he likes so much as a good fight.
fair It was a fair fight and Stephen won.
free They inadvertently got mixed up in a free fight involving some 20 people.
running He was killed during a series of running fights outside a disco.
stand-up, straight In a straight fight the crusaders usually won; in skirmishes, the Saracens often overcame their more numerous opponents.
pub, street | gang | fist | food, pillow, water | championship, title watching the world title fight between Tyson and Lewis
professional | heavyweight, etc. | bull (also bullfight), cock, dog
VERB + FIGHT pick, start He tried to pick a fight with me. I don't know who started the fight.
be looking for, be spoiling for, want Andy was drunk and spoiling for a fight.
be in, get into, get involved in, get mixed up in, have Don't get into any more fights!
break up, stop The fight was broken up by a teacher.
win | lose | watch
FIGHT + VERB take place The dog fights took place every Sunday morning.
break out, erupt, start | ensue A fight ensued which left one man dead.
PREP. in a/the ~ He killed a man in a fight.
~ about/over They nearly had a fight over who should move first.
~ between fights between police and football fans
~ with They got involved in a fight with some older boys.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
II. trying to get/do sth
ADJ. brave, good, strong She died at the age of 43 after a brave fight against cancer.
hard, long, real, tough a long fight to beat inflation
bitter, desperate | legal
VERB + FIGHT put up Coal workers are determined to put up a fight to save their jobs.
lead, spearhead leading the fight for compensation for the sacked workers
join (in) Doctors have now joined in the fight to make this treatment available to all.
face Now he is facing his toughest fight yet?back to fitness after a series of injuries.
be engaged in He is still engaged in a bitter fight with his old firm.
carry on, continue, keep up She said they would continue their fight to find a cure for Aids.
step up The government has vowed to step up the fight against crime.
take She vowed to take her fight to the High Court.
win | lose Are we losing the fight against illegal drugs?
give up She just gave up her fight for life.
FIGHT + VERB be on The fight is on to have this brutal practice stamped out.
continue, go on The fight for justice goes on.
PREP. without a ~ I'm not giving up without a fight!
~ against a new weapon in the fight against car crime
~ for their fight for a fair deal
PHRASES a fight for life/survival the firm's desperate fight for survival in a cut-throat market
have a fight on your hands Union leaders know that they have got a real fight on their hands.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
III. competition
ADJ. brave, good, great, strong, tremendous | straight
VERB + FIGHT put up The team put up a good fight (= they played well) but were finally beaten.
FIGHT + VERB be on
PREP. ~ between This will be a straight fight between Labour and the Conservatives: the other parties are nowhere.
~ for The fight for supremacy in the sport is on.
PHRASES a fight to the death (figurative) By 1807 politics had become a fight to the death between the two factions.
a fight to the finish If the polls are wrong and it's a fight to the finish, the result may not be known until all the votes have been counted.
have a fight on your hands She now has a fight on her hands (= will have to play very well) to make it through to the next round.
make a fight of it No doubt Ferguson wants his team to make a fight of it.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
verb
I. in a war/battle
ADV. bravely, gallantly, valiantly | bitterly, hard | back, off
VERB + FIGHT be prepared to, be ready to He did not believe that the enemy was ready to fight.
continue to
PREP. against They fought bravely against the enemy.
alongside fighting alongside his comrades
for They fought for control of the island.
over fighting over disputed land

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
II. struggle against/hit sb
ADV. bitterly, hard | back, off The jeweller was stabbed as he tried to fight the robbers off.
VERB + FIGHT be prepared to
PREP. against She fought hard against his strong grip.
with Riot police fought with militants demonstrating in support of the uprising.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
III. in a contest
ADV. bitterly, hard | successfully
VERB + FIGHT be determined to, be prepared to, be ready to We need a good manager who is prepared to fight for a fair share of the funds.
continue to
PREP. for Regional monopolies were bitterly fought for.
PHRASES fiercely/keenly fought The second half was keenly fought, but neither side managed to score.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
IV. try to stop/achieve sth
ADV. hard, like a tiger, tooth and nail (= in a very determined way) He fought hard to overcome his disability. She'll fight like a tiger to protect her children. The residents are fighting tooth and nail to stop the new development.
doggedly, stubbornly, tenaciously | desperately | successfully | back, off It is time to fight back against street crime.
VERB + FIGHT be determined to, be prepared to, be ready to, vow to | continue to | help (to)
PREP. against They are committed to fighting against racism.
for fighting for equal rights

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
V. argue
ADV. bitterly
PREP. about It's a trivial matter and not worth fighting about.
over The children will fight over quite small things.
with He's always fighting with his brother.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight

have a fight
I didn’t want to have a fight with him.
get into a fight (=become involved in a fight)
The two men got into a fight over a girl.
start a fight
They started a fight in the crowded bar.
pick a fight (=deliberately start a fight)
The guy tried to pick a fight with Jack.
stop a fight/break up a fight
The police were called in to break up a fight outside a nightclub.
win/lose a fight
He always won every fight he was in at school.
be spoiling for a fight (=be very eager to fight with someone)
The kids went round in gangs, all spoiling for a fight.
a fight breaks out/erupts (=suddenly starts)
A fight broke out and one man was struck on the head.
a fight takes place (=happens)
The fight took place outside a nightclub.
a big fight
They ended up having a big fight in the pub.
a fair fight
It was a fair fight, just two on two.
a fierce fight
There was a fierce fight with rebel forces and several soldiers were killed.
a street fight
There were reports of street fights every night in the local newspaper.
a fist fight (=a fight in which people hit each other with their closed hands)
A fist fight broke out after the match.
a knife/sword fight
There have been several arrests, following knife fights between drunken fans.
a title fight (=a fight between two boxers to decide who will win a competition)
a heavyweight title fight

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fight
verb
BAD: They spent the whole night fighting against the fire.
GOOD: They spent the whole night fighting the fire.
BAD: Why were the boys fighting against each other?
GOOD: Why were the boys fighting each other?

Usage Note:
When you are talking about an event or something that lasts only a short time, use fight sb/sth (WITHOUT against ): 'He said he would fight anyone who tried to stop him.' 'The best way to fight a cold is to get plenty of sleep.'
You can use either fight sb/sth or fight against sb/sth when you are talking about a long struggle to overcome things such as poverty, disease, injustice or oppression: 'The ANC has spent half a century fighting (against) racism.' 'The group was founded in 1983 to fight (against) the military regime.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

fight a situation in which people hit or attack each other because of an argument, or as a sport:
He had a fight with an older boy.
the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
battle a fight between opposing armies or groups of people:
The English king was killed at the Battle of Hastings.
a battle between two rival gangs
scuffle a short fight that is not very violent:
There was a short scuffle with the police, but no arrests were made.
punch-up British English informal a fight in which people hit each other because of an argument:
The game turned into a punch-up.
brawl a noisy fight between a group of people:
He was hurt in a drunken brawl.
altercation formal a short noisy argument or fight, especially one that is not serious:
There was a brief altercation and someone called the police.
riot a fight involving a large number of people, especially people who are protesting about something:
The book provoked riots all over Europe.
campaign a planned series of actions intended to achieve something:
Motoring organizations started a campaign for safer roads.
struggle a long, hard fight for freedom, independence, equal rights etc:
Nkrumah led the people in their struggle for independence.
crusade someone’s fight against something they think is morally wrong:
She intends to continue her crusade against sex and violence on TV.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

fight a situation in which people hit or attack each other because of an argument, or as a sport:
He had a fight with an older boy.
the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
battle a fight between opposing armies or groups of people:
The English king was killed at the Battle of Hastings.
a battle between two rival gangs
scuffle a short fight that is not very violent:
There was a short scuffle with the police, but no arrests were made.
punch-up British English informal a fight in which people hit each other because of an argument:
The game turned into a punch-up.
brawl a noisy fight between a group of people:
He was hurt in a drunken brawl.
altercation formal a short noisy argument or fight, especially one that is not serious:
There was a brief altercation and someone called the police.
riot a fight involving a large number of people, especially people who are protesting about something:
The book provoked riots all over Europe.
protest to do something to show publicly that you disagree with something – used especially when a large group of people do this together:
Huge crowds gathered in the capital protesting against the war.
Drivers blocked roads around the capital to protest about the rising cost of fuel.
march to walk in a large group from one place to another in order to protest about something:
Hundreds of students marched through the city in protest against the employment laws.
demonstrate to walk or stand somewhere in a large group, in order to protest about something:
About 200 people were demonstrating outside the US Embassy.
Environmentalists have been demonstrating against plans to dump waste at sea.
boycott to protest about the actions of a company, country, or industry by refusing to buy something, or refusing to go to a place or event:
They may boycott the next Olympic Games.
Shoppers are boycotting battery-farmed eggs.
hold/stage a sit-in to protest by refusing to leave a place:
The students have been staging a sit-in to protest about overcrowding at the polytechnic.
go on a hunger strike (also go on hunger strike British English) to protest by refusing to eat:
Maynard went on a hunger strike to protest his innocence.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

fight the process in which people try to stop something bad from happening or to improve a situation:
Schools have an important part to play in the fight against drugs.
women’s fight for equality
battle a fight to change a situation or deal with a problem in society:
The battle against racial discrimination is not over.
campaign a planned series of actions intended to achieve something:
Motoring organizations started a campaign for safer roads.
struggle a long, hard fight for freedom, independence, equal rights etc:
Nkrumah led the people in their struggle for independence.
crusade someone’s fight against something they think is morally wrong:
She intends to continue her crusade against sex and violence on TV.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

try to take action in order to do something that you may not be able to do:
I tried to explain what was wrong.
He tries hard in class, but he’s finding the work difficult.
attempt to try to do something, especially something difficult. Attempt is more formal than try and is used especially in written English:
Any prisoner who attempts to escape will be shot.
He was attempting to climb one of the world’s highest mountains.
do your best to try as hard as you can to do something:
We will do our best to help them.
make an effort to do something to try to do something, when you find this difficult:
It is worth making an effort to master these skills.
She made a big effort to be nice to him.
struggle to try very hard to do something that is very difficult, especially for a long time:
She’s still struggling to give up smoking.
Many of these families are struggling to survive.
strive formal to try very hard to achieve something:
The company must constantly strive for greater efficiency.
endeavour British English, endeavor American English /ɪnˈdevə $ -ər/ formal to try hard to do something:
Each employee shall endeavour to provide customers with the best service possible.
have a go/try informal to try to do something, especially when you are not sure that you will succeed:
I’m not very good at fixing taps, but I’ll have a go.
Do you want to have another try?
see if you can do something spoken to try to do something – used when offering to do something, or suggesting that someone should do something:
I’ll see if I can get you a ticket.
See if you can persuade her to come.
fight the process in which people try to stop something bad from happening or to improve a situation:
Schools have an important part to play in the fight against drugs.
women’s fight for equality
battle a fight to change a situation or deal with a problem in society:
The battle against racial discrimination is not over.
campaign a planned series of actions intended to achieve something:
Motoring organizations started a campaign for safer roads.
crusade someone’s fight against something they think is morally wrong:
She intends to continue her crusade against sex and violence on TV.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲