bareknuckle

or bare·knuck·led

[ bair-nuhk-uh l ]
/ ˈbɛərˈnʌk əl /

adjective

(of a prizefight, prizefighter, etc.) without boxing gloves; using the bare fists.
without conventional niceties; rough-and-tumble.

adverb

without boxing gloves.
in a rough-and-tumble manner.

Origin of bareknuckle

First recorded in 1920–25; bare1 + knuckle

Example sentences from the Web for bare-knuckle

British Dictionary definitions for bare-knuckle

bare-knuckle

adjective

without boxing gloves a bare-knuckle fight
aggressive and without reservations a bare-knuckle confrontation