FIGHT (fought)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fight mean? 

• FIGHT (noun)
  The noun FIGHT has 5 senses:

1. a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

2. the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

3. an aggressive willingness to compete

4. an intense verbal dispute

5. a boxing or wrestling match

  Familiarity information: FIGHT used as a noun is common.

• FIGHT (verb)
  The verb FIGHT has 4 senses:

1. be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

2. fight against or resist strongly

3. make a strenuous or labored effort

4. 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

  Familiarity information: FIGHT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FIGHT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

battle; conflict; engagement; fight

Context example:

he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement

Hypernyms ("fight" is a kind of...):

action; military action (a military engagement)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fight"):

pitched battle (a fierce battle fought in close combat between troops in predetermined positions at a chosen time and place)

Armageddon (any catastrophically destructive battle)

assault (close fighting during the culmination of a military attack)

dogfight (an aerial engagement between fighter planes)

armed combat; combat (an engagement fought between two military forces)

naval battle (a pitched battle between naval fleets)

Instance hyponyms:

Battle of Britain (the prolonged bombardment of British cities by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and the aerial combat that accompanied it)

Drogheda (in 1649 the place was captured by Oliver Cromwell, who massacred the Catholic inhabitants)

Holonyms ("fight" is a part of...):

war; warfare (the waging of armed conflict against an enemy)

Derivation:

fight (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of fighting; any contest or struggle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

combat; fight; fighting; scrap

Context example:

the unhappy couple got into a terrible scrap

Hypernyms ("fight" is a kind of...):

battle; conflict; struggle (an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals))

Meronyms (parts of "fight"):

blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fight"):

fistfight; fisticuffs; slugfest (a fight with bare fists)

single combat (a fight between two people)

gang fight; rumble (a fight between rival gangs of adolescents)

cut-and-thrust; knife fight; snickersnee (fighting with knives)

brawl; free-for-all (a noisy fight in a crowd)

affray; disturbance; fray; ruffle (a noisy fight)

beating; whipping (the act of overcoming or outdoing)

banging; battering (the act of subjecting to strong attack)

affaire d'honneur; duel (a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor)

dogfight; hassle; rough-and-tumble; scuffle; tussle (disorderly fighting)

impact; shock (the violent interaction of individuals or groups entering into combat)

set-to (a brief but vigorous fight)

in-fighting (conflict between members of the same organization (usually concealed from outsiders))

fencing (the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules))

dogfight (a violent fight between dogs (sometimes organized illegally for entertainment and gambling))

close-quarter fighting (hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters)

brush; clash; encounter; skirmish (a minor short-term fight)

gunfight; gunplay; shootout (a fight involving shooting small arms with the intent to kill or frighten)

Derivation:

fight (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An aggressive willingness to compete

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

competitiveness; fight

Context example:

the team was full of fight

Hypernyms ("fight" is a kind of...):

aggressiveness (the quality of being bold and enterprising)

Derivation:

fight (make a strenuous or labored effort)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An intense verbal dispute

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

a violent fight over the bill is expected in the Senate

Hypernyms ("fight" is a kind of...):

arguing; argument; contention; contestation; controversy; disceptation; disputation; tilt (a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement)

Derivation:

fight (fight against or resist strongly)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A boxing or wrestling match

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the fight was on television last night

Hypernyms ("fight" is a kind of...):

boxing; fisticuffs; pugilism (fighting with the fists)

Derivation:

fight (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

• FIGHT (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

contend; fight; struggle

Context example:

Militant groups are contending for control of the country

"Fight" entails doing...:

compete; contend; vie (compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fight"):

chicken-fight; chickenfight (fight while sitting on somebody's shoulders)

tourney (engage in a tourney)

feud (carry out a feud)

skirmish (engage in a skirmish)

bandy (exchange blows)

fence (fight with fencing swords)

box (engage in a boxing match)

spar (fight with spurs)

scuffle; tussle (fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters)

wrestle (engage in a wrestling match)

engage; wage (carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns))

fistfight (fight with the fists)

duel (fight a duel, as over one's honor or a woman)

bear down (exert full strength)

join battle (engage in a conflict)

tug (struggle in opposition)

defend; fight; fight back; fight down; oppose (fight against or resist strongly)

get back; settle (get one's revenge for a wrong or an injury)

fight back (defend oneself)

battle; combat (battle or contend against in or as if in a battle)

war (make or wage war)

assail; attack (launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with)

joust (joust against somebody in a tournament by fighting on horseback)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

Sam and Sue fight
Sam cannot fight Sue

Also:

fight off (force or drive back)

Derivation:

fight (a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war)

fight (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

fight (a boxing or wrestling match)

fighter (a high-speed military or naval airplane designed to destroy enemy aircraft in the air)

fighter (someone who fights (or is fighting))

fighting (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Fight against or resist strongly

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

defend; fight; fight back; fight down; oppose

Context example:

Don't fight it!

Hypernyms (to "fight" is one way to...):

contend; fight; struggle (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fight"):

recalcitrate (show strong objection or repugnance; manifest vigorous opposition or resistance; be obstinately disobedient)

fend; resist; stand (withstand the force of something)

hold out; resist; stand firm; withstand (stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something)

drive back; fight off; rebuff; repel; repulse (force or drive back)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

fight (an intense verbal dispute)

fighter (a high-speed military or naval airplane designed to destroy enemy aircraft in the air)

fighter (someone who fights (or is fighting))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make a strenuous or labored effort

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

fight; struggle

Context example:

He fought for breath

Hypernyms (to "fight" is one way to...):

assay; attempt; essay; seek; try (make an effort or attempt)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fight"):

drive; labor; labour; push; tug (strive and make an effort to reach a goal)

flounder (behave awkwardly; have difficulties)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

fight (an aggressive willingness to compete)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

agitate; campaign; crusade; fight; press; push

Context example:

The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate

Hypernyms (to "fight" is one way to...):

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Verb group:

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

fighter (someone who fights for a cause)

 Context examples 

"This is my fight," said the Woodman, "so get behind me and I will meet them as they come."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

On the other hand, the full moon of November 12 might simply show you that you need to slow down and rest, for you could be fighting a cold.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Sometimes our neighbours want the things which we have, or have the things which we want, and we both fight, till they take ours, or give us theirs.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

It never entered his head to cease fighting, to allow Cheese-Face to whip him.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Looking out from his hut one day he saw three robbers fighting and he called out to them, “God be with you.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

As a result, much research has focused on creating new compounds to fight these bacteria.

(Scientists Discover Antibiotic Mechanism, NIH)

The researchers repeated this experiment using a vaccine that trains immune cells to fight melanomas and found that memory T cells were more protective against tumors in mice receiving less food.

(Memory T cells shelter in bone marrow, boosting immunity in mice with restricted diets, National Institutes of Health)

Cancer-fighting T cells inside the tumor can get “exhausted” and die.

(Harnessing T-cell “stemness” could enhance cancer immunotherapy, National Institutes of Health)

Experts are fighting over this question.

(Health threats caused by mobile phone radiation, EUROPARL TV)

βGBP is a form of immunotherapy, which works with a patient's immune system to help them fight the disease.

(Molecule in Immune System Able to Trigger 'Suicide' of Cancerous Tumors, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)