fight
verb/faɪt/
/faɪt/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbspresent simple I / you / we / they fight | /faɪt/ /faɪt/ |
he / she / it fights | /faɪts/ /faɪts/ |
past simple fought | /fɔːt/ /fɔːt/ |
past participle fought | /fɔːt/ /fɔːt/ |
-ing form fighting | /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to take part in a war or battle against an enemy
- soldiers trained to fight
- He fought in Vietnam.
- fight against somebody My grandfather fought against the Fascists in Spain.
- fight somebody/something to fight a war/battle
- They gathered soldiers to fight the invading army.
- fight for something They fought for control of the island.
- fight somebody/something for something Didn't we fight a war for freedom?
- fight over something They were fighting over disputed land.
- fight somebody/something over something Future wars will be fought over water supplies.
Collocations War and peaceWar and peaceStarting a war- declare/make/wage war [on somebody/something]
- go to war [against/with somebody]
- cause/spark/provoke/foment/quell unrest
- incite/lead/crush/suppress a revolt/rebellion
- launch/mount/carry out a surprise/terrorist attack
- prevent/halt/represent an escalation of the conflict
- be torn apart by/be on the brink of civil war
- enter/invade/occupy somebodys territory
- lead/launch/resist/repel an invasion
- adopt/develop/implement/pursue a military strategy
- carry out/execute/perform military operations/manoeuvres
- send/deploy/station/pull back/withdraw troops
- go on/fly/carry out a reconnaissance/rescue mission
- train/equip/deploy army/military/combat units
- lead/launch/conduct a raid/a surprise attack/an [air/airborne/amphibious] assault [on somebody]
- employ/use guerrilla tactics
- conduct/wage biological/guerrilla warfare
- fight/crush/defeat the rebels/the insurgency
- suffer/inflict a crushing defeat
- achieve/win a decisive victory
- halt/stop the British/German/Russian advance
- order/force a retreat
- join/serve in the army/navy/air force
- be/go/remain/serve on active duty
- serve/complete/return from a tour of duty
- be sent to the front [line]
- attack/strike/engage/defeat/kill/destroy the enemy
- see/report/be engaged in heavy fighting
- call for/be met with armed resistance
- come under heavy/machine-gun/mortar fire
- fire a machine-gun/mortar shells/rockets [at somebody/something]
- shoot a rifle/a pistol/bullets/missiles
- launch/fire a cruise/ballistic/anti-tank missile
- use biological/chemical/nuclear weapons
- inflict/suffer/sustain heavy losses/casualties
- be hit/killed by enemy/friendly/artillery fire
- become/be held as a prisoner of war
- harm/kill/target/protect innocent/unarmed civilians
- cause/avoid/limit/minimize civilian casualties/collateral damage
- impose/enforce/lift a curfew
- engage in/be a victim of ethnic cleansing
- be sent to an internment/a concentration camp
- accept/house/resettle refugees fleeing from war
- fear/threaten military/violent reprisals
- commit/be accused of war crimes/crimes against humanity/genocide
- make/bring/win/achieve/maintain/promote peace
- call for/negotiate/broker/declare a ceasefire/a temporary truce
- sign a ceasefire agreement
- call for/bring/put an end to hostilities
- demand/negotiate/accept the surrender of somebody/something
- establish/send [in] a peacekeeping force
- negotiate/conclude/ratify/sign/accept/reject/break/violate a peace treaty
Extra Examples- We fought and won.
- Millions fought and died.
- He did not believe that the enemy was ready to fight.
- We believed we were fighting for freedom.
- These men fought for their country.
- Many African American soldiers fought for the Union.
- He fought alongside his comrades.
- I met someone who fought alongside my father in the war.
- They fought bravely against the enemy.
- The country fought several wars against its neighbours.
- The soldiers were trained to fight in the jungle.
- Bolshevik troops fought Polish forces in what is today Western Ukraine and Belarus.
- These soldiers fought under the imperial banner.
- Modern wars are fought with more sophisticated technology.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- bravely
- gallantly
- valiantly
- be prepared to
- be ready to
- continue to
- against
- alongside
- for
- fight to the death
Questions about grammar and vocabulary?
Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.
Join us
Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary app.
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
- [intransitive, transitive] to struggle physically with somebody
- My little brothers are always fighting.
- He taught me how to fight with a sword.
- fight with somebody Riot police fought with demonstrators.
- He sometimes fights with other children in the playground.
- fight somebody She fought her attacker, eventually forcing him to flee.
- fight over something Children will fight even over small things.
- dogs fighting over scraps of food
- fight somebody over something They were fighting each other over a toy.
- fight [somebody] for something Paris offers to fight Menelaus for Helen's hand.
- fight against somebody/something She fought hard against his strong grip.
Extra Examples- He was suspended from school for fighting.
- How did you get the black eye? Have you been fighting?
- I caught them fighting with sticks.
- He fought another boy over a girl.
- He fought against his attacker.
- Thousands of rioting students fought with police.
- They practically fought [with] each other for the honour of carrying my bag.
- A boy said he wanted to fight me after school.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- bitterly
- hard
- dirty
- be prepared to
- against
- with
- [intransitive] to have an argument with somebody about something
- I remember lying in bed listening to my parents fighting.
- fight about something It's a trivial matter and not worth fighting about.
- fight over something Scholars have long fought over this point.
- fight with somebody I'm always fighting with my sister.
- It's normal for couples to fight.
- The thing we fight about most is money.
- We've fought over many issues, but always respected one another.
- Let's not fight over the details.
- He was well-liked by his peers, but often fought with his teachers.
- [transitive, intransitive] to try hard to stop, deal with or oppose something bad or something that you disagree with
- We will continue to fight for as long as it takes.
- She fought bravely, but died of the disease.
- fight something to fight terrorism/crime/corruption/poverty
- Vitamin C helps your body to fight disease.
- Workers are fighting the decision to close the factory.
- The fire crews had problems fighting the blaze.
- She fought a long battle against cancer.
- fight against something They are committed to fighting against racism.
- fight for somebody She spent her life fighting for the poor.
- fight something with something We must fight hatred with love.
- fight to do something She'll fight like a tiger to protect her children.
Extra Examples- We are committed to fighting poverty.
- The government will introduce new measures to fight terrorism.
- a superhero who wants to fight crime and clean up the city
- Fighting corruption is essential to restore public confidence.
- He vowed to fight against the decision.
- He has used his fame to become a spokesman for alleviating world poverty and fighting AIDS.
- His body was too weak to fight the infection.
- Why did you fight so hard against these changes?
- I've always had to fight against prejudice.
- They are fighting unwinnable wars against corporate giants.
- We're fighting for people who are discriminated against.
- The organization fights on behalf of political prisoners across the world.
- This battle is being fought with spin and PR.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- hard
- like a tiger
- tooth and nail
- be determined to
- be prepared to
- be ready to
- against
- for
- [intransitive, transitive] to try very hard to get something or to achieve something
- We fought for years before we got the recognition we deserved.
- fight for something Women fought for the right to vote.
- He's still fighting for compensation after the accident.
- fight to do something Doctors fought for more than six hours to save his life.
- She fought hard to get this film made.
- fight your way She gradually fought her way to the top of the company.
Synonyms campaigncampaign- battle
- struggle
- drive
- war
- fight
- campaign a series of planned activities that are intended to achieve a particular social, commercial or political aim:
- the campaign for parliamentary reform
- an advertising campaign
- battle a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control:
- She finally won the legal battle for compensation.
- the endless battle between man and nature
- struggle a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control:
- the struggle for independence
- the struggle between good and evil
- drive an organized effort by a group of people to achieve something:
- the drive for greater efficiency
- a drive to reduce energy consumption
- war [sing.] an effort over a long period of time to get rid of or stop something bad:
- the war against crime
- fight [sing.] the work of trying to stop or prevent something bad or achieve something good; an act of competing, especially in a sport:
- Workers won their fight to stop compulsory redundancies.
- a campaign/battle/struggle/drive/war/fight against something
- a campaign/battle/struggle/drive/fight for something
- a one-man/one-woman/personal campaign/battle/struggle/war
- a bitter campaign/battle/struggle/drive/war/fight
- to launch/embark on a campaign/battle/drive
- to lead/continue the campaign/battle/struggle/drive/fight
- to win/lose a battle/struggle/war/fight
Extra ExamplesTopics Successb1- The company is fighting for survival at the moment.
- We will never give up fighting for justice.
- He fought tirelessly for the abolition of slavery.
- Regional monopolies were bitterly fought for.
- We need a good manager who is prepared to fight for a fair share of the funds.
- We are fighting for equal rights.
- Campaigners fought to save the hospital from closure.
- She fought desperately to suppress her laughter.
- He fought hard to overcome his disability.
- They say they are fighting to preserve their way of life.
- She fought to keep her composure.
- We fought our way across London in heavy traffic.
- This small company fought its way to global success.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- hard
- like a tiger
- tooth and nail
- be determined to
- be prepared to
- be ready to
- against
- for
- [transitive, intransitive] to take part in a contest against somebody
- fight somebody/something [for something] to fight an election/a campaign
- fight for something She's fighting for a place in the national team.
- There are twelve parties fighting the election.
- The second half was fiercely fought, but neither side managed to score.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- bitterly
- hard
- successfully
- be determined to
- be prepared to
- be ready to
- for
- fiercely fought
- [intransitive, transitive] to take part in a boxing match
- Doctors fear he may never fight again.
Extra ExamplesTopics Sports: other sportsa2- fight somebody/something He has fought 37 bouts with 24 knockouts.
- [transitive, intransitive] to try to get what you want in court
- fight [somebody] for something He fought his wife for custody of the children.
- fight something I'm determined to fight the case.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- hard
- like a tiger
- tooth and nail
- be determined to
- be prepared to
- be ready to
- against
- for
in war/battle
struggle/hit
argue
oppose
try to get/do something
in contest
in boxing
law
Word OriginOld English feohtan [verb], feoht[e], gefeoht [noun], of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vechten, gevecht and German fechten, Gefecht.
Idioms
Phrasal Verbsfight your/somebodys corner
- [British English] to defend your/somebodys position against other people
fight fire with fire
- to use similar methods in a fight or an argument to those your opponent is usingTopics Opinion and argumentc2
fight for [your] life
- to make a great effort to stay alive, especially when you are badly injured or seriously ill
- A young cyclist is fighting for his life after the accident.
fight your own battles
- to be able to win an argument or get what you want without anyones help
- I wouldn't get involvedhe's old enough to fight his own battles.
- My parents believed in leaving me to fight my own battles.
fight shy of something/of doing something
- to be unwilling to accept something or do something, and to try to avoid it
- Successive governments have fought shy of such measures.
fight to the death/finish
- to fight until one of the two people or groups is dead, or until one person or group defeats the other
- The soldiers were prepared to fight to the death if they had to.
fight tooth and nail
- to fight in a very determined way for what you want
- The residents are fighting tooth and nail to stop the new development.
- She fought tooth and nail to keep custody of the children.
live to fight another day
- [saying] used to say that although you have failed or had a bad experience, you will continue
[fight] a losing battle
- [to try to do] something that you will probably never succeed in doing
- Im fighting a losing battle against the mess in this house!
- She wanted him to take some responsibility for his actions, but she knew it was a losing battle.
- fight back
- fight down
- fight it out
- fight off
- fight out
Check pronunciation:
fight