fighting

[ fahy-ting ]

/ ˈfaɪ tɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fighting ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

fit to fight: a boxer who's no longer in fighting shape.

tending or meant to stir up a fight or hostility: fighting words.

Origin of fighting

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at fight, -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM fighting

un·fight·ing, adjective

Words nearby fighting

fight-or-flight reaction, fight-or-flight response, fighter, fighter-bomber, fighter-interceptor, fighting, fighting chair, fighting chance, fighting cock, fighting fish, fighting french

Definition for fighting (2 of 2)

fight

[ fahyt ]

/ faɪt /

noun

a battle or combat.

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

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

Boxing. a bout or contest.

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

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

verb (used without object), fought, fight·ing.

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

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

verb (used with object), fought, fight·ing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Origin of fight

before 900; (v.) Middle English fi(g)hten, Old English fe(o)htan (cognate with German fechten); (noun) Middle English fi(g)ht, Old English feohte, ( ge)feoht, derivative of the v. base

SYNONYMS FOR fight

1, 2 encounter, engagement, affray, fray, action, skirmish, melee; scuffle, tussle, row, riot.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fight ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for fight

1, 2. 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, as in war. 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.

OTHER WORDS FROM fight

fight·a·ble, adjective fight·a·bil·i·ty, noun fight·ing·ly, adverb out·fight, verb (used with object), out·fought, out·fight·ing.

pre·fight, adjective re·fight, verb, re·fought, re·fight·ing. un·fight·a·ble, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for fighting

First, one fights with another, then they make an alliance, then they go back to fighting each other.

Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder |Jason McGahan |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Part of the problem is the mandate of the war and the means with which the U.S. is fighting it do not match up.

Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War |Nancy A. Youssef |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Just a week before the start of a new Congress, the new House majority whip is fighting for his political life.

No. 3 Republican Admits Talking to White Supremacist Conference |Tim Mak |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I am fighting that quota because I am an advocate of competition.

Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea |Rich Goldstein |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Due to the video lacking audio, what they were fighting about remains a mystery—“was Jay cheating?”

Yoncé Said Knock You Out: The Solange and Jay Z Story |Kevin O’Keeffe |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Perhaps he is stirred at the thought of fighting for "England, Home, and Beauty."

Kitchener's Mob |James Norman Hall
It seemed as though the whole mass of fighting men had partially sunk into the ground.

The Lady of the Shroud |Bram Stoker
At last the boy turned to him, fighting back some things, taking on other things.

Lifted Masks |Susan Glaspell
They are discovering that they have been fighting a bugbear; also, that their legislation against the bugbear cannot legislate.

The American Architect and Building News, Vol. 27, Jan-Mar, 1890 |Various
For they did not come on fighting, but all in a tremble, clutching wildly to get back the papers.

Wunpost |Dane Coolidge

British Dictionary definitions for fighting

fight

/ (faɪt) /

verb fights, fighting or fought

to oppose or struggle against (an enemy) in battle

to oppose or struggle against (a person, thing, cause, etc) in any manner

(tr) to engage in or carry on (a battle, contest, etc)

(when intr often foll by for) to uphold or maintain (a cause, ideal, etc) by fighting or struggling to fight for freedom

(tr) to make or achieve (a way) by fighting

(intr) boxing

to box, as for a living
to use aggressive rough tactics

to engage (another or others) in combat

fight it out to contend or struggle until a decisive result is obtained

fight shy of to keep aloof from

noun

a battle, struggle, or physical combat

a quarrel, dispute, or contest

resistance (esp in the phrase to put up a fight)

the desire to take part in physical combat (esp in the phrase to show fight)

a boxing match

Derived forms of fight

fighting, noun, adjective

Word Origin for fight

Old English feohtan; related to Old Frisian fiuchta, Old Saxon, Old High German fehtan to fight

Idioms and Phrases with fighting

fight

In addition to the idioms beginning with fight

fight fire with fire
fighting chance
fighting words
fight it out
fight off
fight shy of
fight tooth and nail

also see:

can't fight city hall

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

fighting

adjective

Origin of fighting

OTHER WORDS FROM fighting

Words nearby fighting

Definition for fighting (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used without object), fought, fight·ing.

verb (used with object), fought, fight·ing.

Origin of fight

SYNONYMS FOR fight

synonym study for fight

OTHER WORDS FROM fight

Example sentences from the Web for fighting

British Dictionary definitions for fighting

verb fights, fighting or fought

noun

Derived forms of fight

Word Origin for fight

Idioms and Phrases with fighting

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

fighting

adjective

Origin of fighting

OTHER WORDS FROM fighting

Words nearby fighting

Definition for fighting (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used without object), fought, fight·ing.

verb (used with object), fought, fight·ing.

Origin of fight

SYNONYMS FOR fight

synonym study for fight

OTHER WORDS FROM fight

Words related to fighting

Example sentences from the Web for fighting

British Dictionary definitions for fighting

verb fights, fighting or fought

noun

Derived forms of fight

Word Origin for fight

Idioms and Phrases with fighting