Fight

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Fight, v. i. [OE. fihten, fehten, AS. feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG. fehtan, G. fechten, Sw. fäkta, Dan. fegte, and perh. to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight, pugnus fist.].

•  To strive or contened for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed by with or against.  [1913 Webster]

  "You do fight against your country's foes."  [1913 Webster]

  "To fight with thee no man of arms will deign."  [1913 Webster]
•  To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make resistance.  [1913 Webster]

To fight shy, to avoid meeting fairly or at close quarters; to keep out of reach.

Fight, v. t. 

•  To carry on, or wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause.  [1913 Webster]

  "He had to fight his way through the world."  [1913 Webster]

  "I have fought a good fight."  [1913 Webster]
•  To contend with in battle; to war against; as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop fought the frigate for three hours.  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver in a fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's ship.  [1913 Webster]

To fight it out, to fight until a decisive and conclusive result is reached.

Fight, n. [OE. fight, feht, AS. feoht. See Fight, v. i.].

•  A battle; an engagement; a contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  "Who now defies thee thrice to single fight."  [1913 Webster]
•  A struggle or contest of any kind.  [1913 Webster]
•  Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him.  [1913 Webster]
•  A screen for the combatants in ships.  [1913 Webster]

  "Up with your fights, and your nettings prepare."  [1913 Webster]

Running fight, a fight in which the enemy is continually chased; also, one which continues without definite end or result.

Syn. -- Combat; engagement; contest; struggle; encounter; fray; affray; action; conflict. See Battle.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Fight, v. & n.
--v. (past and past part. fought)
1 intr. (often foll. by against, with) contend or struggle in war, battle, single combat, etc.
2 tr. contend with (an opponent) in this way.
3 tr. take part or engage in (a battle, war, duel, etc.).
4 tr. contend about (an issue, an election); maintain (a lawsuit, cause, etc.) against an opponent.
5 intr. campaign or strive determinedly to achieve something.
6 tr. strive to overcome (disease, fire, fear, etc.).
7 tr. make (one's way) by fighting.
8 tr. cause (cocks or dogs) to fight.
9 tr. handle (troops, a ship, etc.) in battle.
--n.
1 a a combat, esp. unpremeditated, between two or more persons, animals, or parties. b a boxing-match. c a battle.
2 a conflict or struggle; a vigorous effort in the face of difficulty.
3 power or inclination to fight (has no fight left; showed fight).

Idiom

fight back
1 counter-attack.
2 suppress (one's feelings, tears, etc.). fight down suppress (one's feelings, tears, etc.).
fight for
1 fight on behalf of.
2 fight to secure (a thing). fighting chair US a fixed chair on a boat for use when catching large fish. fighting chance an opportunity of succeeding by great effort. fighting fish (in full Siamese fighting fish) a freshwater fish, Betta splendens, native to Thailand, the males of which sometimes kill each other during fights for territory. fighting fit fit enough to fight; at the peak of fitness. fighting fund money raised to support a campaign. fighting-top Naut. a circular gun-platform high on a warship's mast. fighting words colloq. words indicating a willingness to fight. fight off repel with effort. fight out (usu. fight it out) settle (a dispute etc.) by fighting. fight shy of avoid; be unwilling to approach (a person, task, etc.). make a fight of it (or put up a fight) offer resistance.

Etymology

OE feohtan, feoht(e), f. WG

THESAURUS

Fight

Olympic games, Olympics, a outrance, action, aerial combat, affray, against, aggression, aggressiveness, agonize, altercate, altercation, antagonism, antagonize, argue, argument, armored combat, avoid, bandy with, battle, battle it out, battle royal, beat against, beat up against, beef, bellicism, bellicosity, belligerence, belligerency, bicker, bicker over, bickering, blood feud, bout, box, brawl, breast the wave, broil, brush, buck, buffet, buffet the waves, bullfight, bump heads, carry on hostilities, chauvinism, clash, clash of arms, close, close with, cockfight, collide, combat, combativeness, come to blows, compete with, concours, conflict, conflict with, confound, confront, confute, contend, contend about, contend against, contend for, contend with, contention, contentiousness, contest, contradict, contravene, controversy, cope with, cross swords with, cut and thrust, debate, defy, derby, differ, difference of opinion, disagree, disagreement, discord, dispute, dissension, dissent, dissidence, disturbance, dogfight, donnybrook, donnybrook fair, duel, embroilment, encounter, engage, engage in hostilities, engage with, engagement, enthusiasm, exchange blows, exchange of blows, exchange shots, fence, ferocity, feud, fierceness, fight a duel, fight against, fight for, fight like devils, fight over, fight shy of, fight with, fighting, fire fight, flite, fliting, fracas, fray, free-for-all, fuss, game, games, give and take, give satisfaction, go, go to loggerheads, grapple, grapple with, ground combat, grunt and sweat, gymkhana, hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand fight, hassle, have it out, have words, hostilities, hostility, house-to-house combat, huff and puff, imbroglio, jingoism, join battle with, join issue, jostle, joust, keep away from, knock-down-and-drag-out, labor against, lock horns, logomachy, make a stand, make war, martialism, match, matching, measure swords with, meet, meeting, melee, mettle, militancy, militarism, militate against, misunderstanding, mix it up, monomachy, naval combat, offer resistance, open quarrel, oppose, oppugn, passage of arms, pitched battle, pluck, polemic, protest, pugnaciousness, pugnacity, quarrel, quarrel over, quarrelsomeness, question, rail, rally, rassle, refute, reluct, reluctate, rencontre, repel, repulse, resist, riot, rise up, rival, row, rowdy, ruckus, rumble, run a tilt, run-in, running fight, saber rattling, scramble, scrap, scrimmage, scuffle, set to, set-to, settle it, sharp words, shed blood, shoving match, single combat, skirmish, slanging match, snarl, spar, spat, spill blood, spirit, squabble, squabble over, stand-up fight, stem the tide, stickle for, stipulate for, street fight, strife, strive, strive against, strive for, strive with, struggle, struggle against, struggle for, struggle with, take a stand, take issue with, take on, tangle with, tauromachy, test, thrust and parry, tiff, tilt, tilt with, tournament, tourney, traverse, trial, truculence, try conclusions with, tug, tug-of-war, tussle, unfriendliness, unpeacefulness, vendetta, vie for, vie with, wage war, war, warfare, warmongering, warpath, withstand, words, wrangle, wrangle over, wrestle, wrestle with, zeal, zest

ROGET THESAURUS

Fight

Disorder

N disorder, derangement, irregularity, anomaly, anarchy, anarchism, want of method, untidiness, disunion, discord, confusion, confusedness, mishmash, mix, disarray, jumble, huddle, litter, lumber, cahotage, farrago, mess, mash, muddle, muss, hash, hodgepodge, hotch-potch, hotch-pot, imbroglio, chaos, omnium gatherum, medley, mere mixture, fortuitous concourse of atoms, disjecta membra, rudis indigestaque moles, complexity, turmoil, ferment, to-do, trouble, pudder, pother, row, rumble, disturbance, hubbub, convulsion, tumult, uproar, revolution, riot, rumpus, stour, scramble, brawl, fracas, rhubarb, fight, free-for-all, row, ruction, rumpus, embroilment, melee, spill and pelt, rough and tumble, whirlwind, bear garden, Babel, Saturnalia, donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair, confusion worse confounded, most admired disorder, concordia discors, Bedlam, all hell broke loose, bull in a china shop, all the fat in the fire, diable a' quatre, Devil to pay, pretty kettle of fish, pretty piece of work, pretty piece of business, disorderly person, disorderly persons offence, misdemeanor, slattern, slut (libertine), disorderly, orderless, out of order, out of place, out of gear, irregular, desultory, anomalous, acephalous, deranged, aimless, disorganized, straggling, unmethodical, immethodical, unsymmetric, unsystematic, untidy, slovenly, dislocated, out of sorts, promiscuous, indiscriminate, chaotic, anarchical, unarranged &c (arrange), confused, deranged, topsy-turvy, shapeless, disjointed, out of joint, troublous, riotous, complex, irregularly, by fits, by fits and snatches, by fits and starts, pellmell, higgledy-piggledy, helter-skelter, harum-scarum, in a ferment, at sixes and sevens, at cross-purposes, upside down, the cart before the horse, hysteron proteron, chaos is come again, the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.

Contention

N contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, Derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment, velitation, colluctation, luctation, brabble, brigue, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention, contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads, at war, at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical, a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, a very pretty quarrel as it stands, commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat.

VB contend, contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle, spar, square, exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs, fib, justle, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence, skirmish, pickeer, fight, wrangle, contend with, grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush, with, tilt with, encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw, run a tilt at, oppose, reluct, join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand, take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet, enter the lists, couch one's lance, give satisfaction, appeal to arms, lay about one, break the peace, compete with, cope with, vie with, race with, outvie, emulate, rival, run a race, contend for, stipulate for, stickle for, insist upon, make a point of.

Warfare

VB arm, raise troops, mobilize troops, raise up in arms, take up the cudgels, take up arms, fly to arms, appeal to arms, fly to the sword, draw the sword, unsheathe the sword, dig up the hatchet, dig up the tomahawk, go to war, wage war, let slip the dogs of war, cry havoc, kindle the torch of war, light the torch of war, raise one's banner, raise the fire cross, hoist the black flag, throw away, fling away the scabbard, enroll, enlist, take the field, take the law into one's own hands, do battle, give battle, join battle, engage in battle, go to battle, flesh one's sword, set to, fall to, engage, measure swords with, draw the trigger, cross swords, come to blows, come to close quarters, fight, combat, contend, battle with, break a lance with, raise the jolly roger, run up the jolly roger, serve, see service, be on service, be on active service, campaign, wield the sword, shoulder a musket, smell powder, be under fire, spill blood, imbrue the hands in blood, on the warpath, carry on war, carry on hostilities, keep the field, fight the good fight, fight it out, fight like devils, fight one's way, fight hand to hand, sell one's life dearly, pay the ferryman's fee.