fight

—fightable, adj. —fightability, n. —fightingly, adv.

/fuyt/, n., v., fought, fighting.

n.

1. a battle or combat.

2. any contest or struggle: a fight for recovery from an illness.

3. an angry argument or disagreement: Whenever we discuss politics, we end up in a fight.

4. Boxing. a bout or contest.

5. a game or diversion in which the participants hit or pelt each other with something harmless: a pillow fight; a water fight.

6. ability, will, or inclination to fight: There was no fight left in him.

v.i.

7. to engage in battle or in single combat; attempt to defend oneself against or to subdue, defeat, or destroy an adversary.

8. to contend in any manner; strive vigorously for or against something: He fought bravely against despair.

v.t.

9. to contend with in battle or combat; war against: England fought Germany.

10. to contend with or against in any manner: to fight despair; to fight the passage of a bill.

11. to carry on (a battle, duel, etc.).

12. to maintain (a cause, quarrel, etc.) by fighting or contending.

13. to make (one's way) by fighting or striving.

14. to cause or set (a boxer, animal, etc.) to fight.

15. to manage or maneuver (troops, ships, guns, planes, etc.) in battle.

16. fight it out, to fight until a decision is reached: Let them fight it out among themselves.

17. fight shy of. See shy¹ (def. 9).

18. fight with windmills. See tilt¹ (def. 10).

[bef. 900; (v.) ME fi(g)hten, OE fe(o)htan (c. G fechten); (n.) ME fi(g)ht, OE feohte, (ge)feoht, deriv. of the v. base]

Syn. 1, 2. encounter, engagement, affray, fray, action, skirmish, melee; scuffle, tussle, row, riot. FIGHT, COMBAT, CONFLICT, CONTEST denote a struggle of some kind. FIGHT connotes a hand-to-hand struggle for supremacy, literally or in a figurative sense. COMBAT suggests an armed encounter, to settle a dispute. CONFLICT implies a bodily, mental, or moral struggle caused by opposing views, beliefs, etc. CONTEST applies to either a friendly or a hostile struggle for a definite prize or aim.

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