# fight

Pronunciation: say "FYT" /faɪt/

## Verb

1. To take part in a violent physical struggle or war, against someone or with each other, or to wage a battle or war.
   - Simple: To use force or weapons against someone, or to take part in a battle or war.
   - _The general had to fight a war on two fronts._
   - _Rebel groups still fight government troops in the mountains near the border._
3. To try to overpower something; to fiercely counteract it.
   - Simple: To work hard to stop or beat something.
   - _Crews worked tirelessly to fight the spreading wildfire._
   - _The medication fights inflammation quite effectively._
4. To strive or campaign for something; to contend for success.
   - Simple: To work hard and keep trying to win or reach a goal.
   - _Activists fight for better working conditions._
   - _He fought tirelessly for the rights of tenants._
10. To clash visually, said of colors or other elements of a design that do not harmonize.
   - Simple: Of colors or designs, to look bad together because they do not match.
   - _The two patterns fight, making the whole outfit look busy._
   - _Her tie and shirt fought so badly that everyone noticed._
11. To cause others to fight, or to manage and maneuver something during a fight.
   - Simple: To make animals fight, or to handle and direct something during a battle.
   - _The trainer used to fight dogs in illegal contests._
   - _A good commander can fight his guns even under heavy fire._
8. To have an angry argument with someone, with words rather than blows.
   - Simple: To argue with someone in an angry way, using words and not hitting.
   - _Couples who fight about chores are often arguing about something deeper._
   - _She and her sister fought on the phone for an hour over who would host Thanksgiving._

## Noun

2. A violent physical clash involving two or more opposing people or groups.
   - Simple: A struggle in which two or more people or groups hit or attack each other.
   - _A fight erupted outside the bar after the match ended._
   - _Police struggled to break up the fight between rival groups._
5. A conflict, which may be nonphysical, against opposing ideas or forces; strife.
   - Simple: A struggle against people, ideas, or forces that you stand against.
   - _The fight for equal rights spanned several decades._
   - _He eventually gave up the fight to save the old theater._
6. A scheduled boxing or martial arts match between two competitors.
   - Simple: A boxing or martial arts match between two people.
   - _The title fight drew thousands of spectators._
   - _Both competitors earned a bonus for the fight of the night._
7. The willingness or ability to keep fighting.
   - Simple: The energy and desire to keep fighting or trying.
   - _Despite the heavy loss, the team showed plenty of fight._
   - _Years of hardship never took the fight out of him._
9. An angry verbal dispute between people, in which they argue with words instead of using physical force.
   - Simple: An angry argument between people that uses words, not hitting or other violence.
   - _We had a pointless fight over the holiday plans and both said things we later regretted._
   - _A disagreement about a movie review turned into a nasty fight in the comments section._

## Noun

12. A protective screen rigged aboard a warship to shield the crew during combat. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A screen put up on a ship to protect the crew during battle.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3–4, 8–11** — Old English feohtan ("to fight, combat, strive") became Middle English fighten. It goes back through Proto-Germanic *fehtaną to *peḱ- ("to comb, shear"), a Proto-Indo-European root. Dutch vechten, German fechten ("to fight, fence") and Latin pectō ("to comb, thrash") are relatives.
**Meanings 2, 5–7, 12** — From Middle English fight, from Old English feoht, ġefeoht, from Proto-Germanic *fehtą ('fight, struggle'), which comes from the verb *fehtaną ('to struggle with'). It is related to Dutch gevecht and German Gefecht.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/fight (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).