fight Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
    battle; engagement; conflict.
    • Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga
    • he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement
  2. noun the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
    scrap; combat; fighting.
    • a fight broke out at the hockey game
    • there was fighting in the streets
    • the unhappy couple got into a terrible scrap
  3. noun an aggressive willingness to compete
    competitiveness.
    • the team was full of fight
  4. noun an intense verbal dispute
    • a violent fight over the bill is expected in the Senate
  5. noun a boxing or wrestling match
    • the fight was on television last night
  6. verb be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
    contend; struggle.
    • the tribesmen fought each other
    • Siblings are always fighting
    • Militant groups are contending for control of the country
  7. verb fight against or resist strongly
    defend; fight down; oppose; fight back.
    • The senator said he would oppose the bill
    • Don't fight it!
  8. verb make a strenuous or labored effort
    struggle.
    • She struggled for years to survive without welfare
    • He fought for breath
  9. verb exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for
    campaign; agitate; push; crusade; press.
    • The liberal party pushed for reforms
    • She is crusading for women's rights
    • The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate

WordNet

Fight intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. fihten, fehten, AS. feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG. fehtan, G. fechten, Sw. fäkta, Dan. fegte, and perh. to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight, pugnus fist.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Fought ; present participle & verbal noun Fighting
Definitions
  1. To strive or contened for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed by with or against.
    You do fight against your country's foes. Shak.
    To fight with thee no man of arms will deign. Milton.
  2. To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make resistance.
Fight transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To carry on, or wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause.
    He had to fight his way through the world. Macaulay.
    I have fought a good fight. 2 Tim. iv. 7.
  2. To contend with in battle; to war against; as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop fought the frigate for three hours.
  3. To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver in a fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's ship.
Fight noun
Etymology
OE. fight, feht, AS. feoht. See Fight, v. i.
Definitions
  1. A battle; an engagement; a contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies, etc.
    Who now defies thee thrice to single fight. Milton.
  2. A struggle or contest of any kind.
  3. Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him. Colloq.
  4. A screen for the combatants in ships. Obs.
    Up with your fights, and your nettings prepare. Dryden.
    Syn. -- Combat; engagement; contest; struggle; encounter; fray; affray; action; conflict. See Battle.

Webster 1913