fight
♦♦♦ fight /f'aɪt/ (fights fighting fought)
1 [VERB] V n, V against n
If you fight something unpleasant, you try in a determined way to prevent it or stop it happening.
More units to fight forest fires are planned...
I've spent a lifetime fighting against racism and prejudice.
[N-COUNT] oft N against n
Fight is also a noun.
...the fight against drug addiction.
2 [VERB] V for n, V to-inf, V way prep/adv
If you fight for something, you try in a determined way to get it or achieve it.
Our Government should be fighting for an end to food subsidies...
I told him how we had fought to hold on to the company...
The team has fought its way to the cup final.
[N-COUNT] usu N for n
Fight is also a noun.
I too am committing myself to continue the fight for justice.
= battle
3 [V-RECIP] pl-n V n over/for n, V n with n, V n for/over n, also pl-n V, V n
If an army or group fights a battle with another army or group, they oppose each other with weapons. You can also say that two armies or groups fight a battle.
The two men fought a battle over land and water rights...
In the latest incident at the weekend police fought a gun battle with a gang which used hand grenades against them...
The Sioux had always fought other tribes for territorial rights.
4 [VERB] V, V for n, V n, V way prep/adv
If a person or army fights in a battle or a war, they take part in it.
He fought in the war and was taken prisoner by the Americans...
If I were a young man I would sooner go to prison than fight for this country...
My father did leave his university to fight the Germans...
Last month rebels fought their way into the capital.
see also dogfight
● fighting [N-UNCOUNT]
More than nine hundred people have died in the fighting.
5 [V-RECIP] V with n, V n, V n for n, pl-n V, pl-n V pron-recip
If one person fights with another, or fights them, the two people hit or kick each other because they want to hurt each other. You can also say that two people fight.
As a child she fought with her younger sister...
I did fight him, I punched him but it was like hitting a wall...
He wrenched the crutch from Jacob, who didn't fight him for it...
I refuse to act that way when my kids fight...
You get a lot of unruly drunks fighting each other.
[N-COUNT] oft N with n
Fight is also a noun.
He had had a fight with Smith and bloodied his nose.
6 [V-RECIP] V with n, V n, pl-n V about/over n, also pl-n V, V with n prep, V n prep
If one person fights with another, or fights them, they have an angry disagreement or quarrel. You can also say that two people fight. (INFORMAL)
She was always arguing with him and fighting with him...
Gwendolen started fighting her teachers...
Mostly, they fight about paying bills.
= quarrel, argue
[N-COUNT]
Fight is also a noun.
We think maybe he took off because he had a big fight with his dad the night before.
7 [VERB] V way prep/adv
If you fight your way to a place, you move towards it with great difficulty, for example because there are a lot of people or obstacles in your way.
I fought my way into a carriage just before the doors closed...
= battle
8 [N-COUNT]
A fight is a boxing match.
The referee stopped the fight.
= bout
9 [VERB] V, V n, V n for n
To fight means to take part in a boxing match.
In a few hours' time one of the world's most famous boxers will be fighting in Britain for the first time...
I'd like to fight him because he's undefeated and I want to be the first man to beat him...
I'd like to fight him for the title.
10 [VERB] V n
If you fight an election, you are a candidate in the election and try to win it.
The former party treasurer helped raise almost £40 million to fight the election campaign.
11 [N-COUNT] usu sing
You can use fight to refer to a contest such as an election or a sports match. (JOURNALISM)
...the fight for power between the two parties.
= contest
12 [VERB] V n, V n
If you fight a case or a court action, you make a legal case against someone in a very determined way, or you put forward a defence when a legal case is made against you.
Watkins sued the Army and fought his case in various courts for 10 years...
The newspaper is fighting a damages action brought by the actress.
13 [N-UNCOUNT]
Fight is the desire or ability to keep fighting.
I thought that we had a lot of fight in us.
14 [VERB] V n, V with n, V to-inf
If you fight an emotion or desire, you try very hard not to feel it, show it, or act on it, but do not always succeed.
I desperately fought the urge to giggle...
He fought with the urge to smoke one of the cigars he'd given up awhile ago...
He fought to be patient with her.
15 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you describe someone as fighting fit, you are emphasizing that they are very fit or healthy. (BRIT)
After a good night's sleep I feel fighting fit again.
16 [PHRASE] V inflects
Someone who is fighting for their life is making a great effort to stay alive, either when they are being physically attacked or when they are very ill.
He is still fighting for his life in hospital.
17
to fight a losing battle: see battlefight back
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P against n
If you fight back against someone or something that is attacking or harming you, you resist them actively or attack them.
The teenage attackers fled when the two men fought back...
We should take some comfort from the ability of the judicial system to fight back against corruption.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you fight back an emotion or a desire, you try very hard not to feel it, show it, or act on it.
She fought back the tears.fight off
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you fight off something, for example an illness or an unpleasant feeling, you succeed in getting rid of it and in not letting it overcome you.
Unfortunately these drugs are quite toxic and hinder the body's ability to fight off infection...
All day she had fought off the impulse to telephone Harry.
= resist
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you fight off someone who has attacked you, you fight with them, and succeed in making them go away or stop attacking you.
The woman fought off the attacker.fight out
[PHRASAL VERB] pl-n V it P, V it P with n, also pl-n V P n (not pron), V P n with n
If two people or groups fight something out, they fight or argue until one of them wins.
Instead of retaliating, he walks away leaving his team-mates to fight it out...
Malcolm continued to fight it out with Julien from his self-imposed exile in Paris.prize fight (prize fights)
also prizefight
[N-COUNT]
A prize fight is a boxing match where the boxers are paid to fight, especially one that is not official.
1 [VERB] V n, V against n
If you fight something unpleasant, you try in a determined way to prevent it or stop it happening.
More units to fight forest fires are planned...
I've spent a lifetime fighting against racism and prejudice.
[N-COUNT] oft N against n
Fight is also a noun.
...the fight against drug addiction.
2 [VERB] V for n, V to-inf, V way prep/adv
If you fight for something, you try in a determined way to get it or achieve it.
Our Government should be fighting for an end to food subsidies...
I told him how we had fought to hold on to the company...
The team has fought its way to the cup final.
[N-COUNT] usu N for n
Fight is also a noun.
I too am committing myself to continue the fight for justice.
= battle
3 [V-RECIP] pl-n V n over/for n, V n with n, V n for/over n, also pl-n V, V n
If an army or group fights a battle with another army or group, they oppose each other with weapons. You can also say that two armies or groups fight a battle.
The two men fought a battle over land and water rights...
In the latest incident at the weekend police fought a gun battle with a gang which used hand grenades against them...
The Sioux had always fought other tribes for territorial rights.
4 [VERB] V, V for n, V n, V way prep/adv
If a person or army fights in a battle or a war, they take part in it.
He fought in the war and was taken prisoner by the Americans...
If I were a young man I would sooner go to prison than fight for this country...
My father did leave his university to fight the Germans...
Last month rebels fought their way into the capital.
see also dogfight
● fighting [N-UNCOUNT]
More than nine hundred people have died in the fighting.
5 [V-RECIP] V with n, V n, V n for n, pl-n V, pl-n V pron-recip
If one person fights with another, or fights them, the two people hit or kick each other because they want to hurt each other. You can also say that two people fight.
As a child she fought with her younger sister...
I did fight him, I punched him but it was like hitting a wall...
He wrenched the crutch from Jacob, who didn't fight him for it...
I refuse to act that way when my kids fight...
You get a lot of unruly drunks fighting each other.
[N-COUNT] oft N with n
Fight is also a noun.
He had had a fight with Smith and bloodied his nose.
6 [V-RECIP] V with n, V n, pl-n V about/over n, also pl-n V, V with n prep, V n prep
If one person fights with another, or fights them, they have an angry disagreement or quarrel. You can also say that two people fight. (INFORMAL)
She was always arguing with him and fighting with him...
Gwendolen started fighting her teachers...
Mostly, they fight about paying bills.
= quarrel, argue
[N-COUNT]
Fight is also a noun.
We think maybe he took off because he had a big fight with his dad the night before.
7 [VERB] V way prep/adv
If you fight your way to a place, you move towards it with great difficulty, for example because there are a lot of people or obstacles in your way.
I fought my way into a carriage just before the doors closed...
= battle
8 [N-COUNT]
A fight is a boxing match.
The referee stopped the fight.
= bout
9 [VERB] V, V n, V n for n
To fight means to take part in a boxing match.
In a few hours' time one of the world's most famous boxers will be fighting in Britain for the first time...
I'd like to fight him because he's undefeated and I want to be the first man to beat him...
I'd like to fight him for the title.
10 [VERB] V n
If you fight an election, you are a candidate in the election and try to win it.
The former party treasurer helped raise almost £40 million to fight the election campaign.
11 [N-COUNT] usu sing
You can use fight to refer to a contest such as an election or a sports match. (JOURNALISM)
...the fight for power between the two parties.
= contest
12 [VERB] V n, V n
If you fight a case or a court action, you make a legal case against someone in a very determined way, or you put forward a defence when a legal case is made against you.
Watkins sued the Army and fought his case in various courts for 10 years...
The newspaper is fighting a damages action brought by the actress.
13 [N-UNCOUNT]
Fight is the desire or ability to keep fighting.
I thought that we had a lot of fight in us.
14 [VERB] V n, V with n, V to-inf
If you fight an emotion or desire, you try very hard not to feel it, show it, or act on it, but do not always succeed.
I desperately fought the urge to giggle...
He fought with the urge to smoke one of the cigars he'd given up awhile ago...
He fought to be patient with her.
15 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If you describe someone as fighting fit, you are emphasizing that they are very fit or healthy. (BRIT)
After a good night's sleep I feel fighting fit again.
16 [PHRASE] V inflects
Someone who is fighting for their life is making a great effort to stay alive, either when they are being physically attacked or when they are very ill.
He is still fighting for his life in hospital.
17
to fight a losing battle: see battlefight back
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P against n
If you fight back against someone or something that is attacking or harming you, you resist them actively or attack them.
The teenage attackers fled when the two men fought back...
We should take some comfort from the ability of the judicial system to fight back against corruption.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you fight back an emotion or a desire, you try very hard not to feel it, show it, or act on it.
She fought back the tears.fight off
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you fight off something, for example an illness or an unpleasant feeling, you succeed in getting rid of it and in not letting it overcome you.
Unfortunately these drugs are quite toxic and hinder the body's ability to fight off infection...
All day she had fought off the impulse to telephone Harry.
= resist
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you fight off someone who has attacked you, you fight with them, and succeed in making them go away or stop attacking you.
The woman fought off the attacker.fight out
[PHRASAL VERB] pl-n V it P, V it P with n, also pl-n V P n (not pron), V P n with n
If two people or groups fight something out, they fight or argue until one of them wins.
Instead of retaliating, he walks away leaving his team-mates to fight it out...
Malcolm continued to fight it out with Julien from his self-imposed exile in Paris.prize fight (prize fights)
also prizefight
[N-COUNT]
A prize fight is a boxing match where the boxers are paid to fight, especially one that is not official.