(~s, ~ing, fought)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ something unpleasant, you try in a determined way to prevent it or stop it happening.
More units to ~ forest fires are planned...
I’ve spent a lifetime ~ing against racism and prejudice.
VERB: V n, V against n
•
Fight is also a noun.
...the ~ against drug addiction.
N-COUNT: oft N against n
2.
If you ~ for something, you try in a determined way to get it or achieve it.
Our Government should be ~ing for an end to food subsidies...
I told him how we had fought to hold on to the company...
The team has fought its way to the cup final.
VERB: V for n, V to-inf, V way prep/adv
•
Fight is also a noun.
I too am committing myself to continue the ~ for justice.
= battle
N-COUNT: usu N for n
3.
If an army or group ~s a battle with another army or group, they oppose each other with weapons. You can also say that two armies or groups ~ a battle.
The two men fought a battle over land and water rights...
In the latest incident at the weekend police fought a gun battle with a gang which used hand grenades against them...
The Sioux had always fought other tribes for territorial rights.
V-RECIP: pl-n V n over/for n, V n with n, V n for/over n, also pl-n V, V n
4.
If a person or army ~s in a battle or a war, they take part in it.
He fought in the war and was taken prisoner by the Americans...
If I were a young man I would sooner go to prison than ~ for this country...
My father did leave his university to ~ the Germans...
Last month rebels fought their way into the capital.
VERB: V, V for n, V n, V way prep/adv
see also dog~
~ing
More than nine hundred people have died in the ~ing.
N-UNCOUNT
5.
If one person ~s with another, or ~s them, the two people hit or kick each other because they want to hurt each other. You can also say that two people ~.
As a child she fought with her younger sister...
I did ~ him, I punched him but it was like hitting a wall...
He wrenched the crutch from Jacob, who didn’t ~ him for it...
I refuse to act that way when my kids ~...
You get a lot of unruly drunks ~ing each other.
V-RECIP: V with n, V n, V n for n, pl-n V, pl-n V pron-recip
•
Fight is also a noun.
He had had a ~ with Smith and bloodied his nose.
N-COUNT: oft N with n
6.
If one person ~s with another, or ~s them, they have an angry disagreement or quarrel. You can also say that two people ~. (INFORMAL)
She was always arguing with him and ~ing with him...
Gwendolen started ~ing her teachers...
Mostly, they ~ about paying bills.
= quarrel, argue
V-RECIP: V with n, V n, pl-n V about/over n, also pl-n V, V with n prep, V n prep
•
Fight is also a noun.
We think maybe he took off because he had a big ~ with his dad the night before.
N-COUNT
7.
If you ~ your way to a place, you move towards it with great difficulty, for example because there are a lot of people or obstacles in your way.
I fought my way into a carriage just before the doors closed...
= battle
VERB: V way prep/adv
8.
A ~ is a boxing match.
The referee stopped the ~.
= bout
N-COUNT
9.
To ~ means to take part in a boxing match.
In a few hours’ time one of the world’s most famous boxers will be ~ing in Britain for the first time...
I’d like to ~ him because he’s undefeated and I want to be the first man to beat him...
I’d like to ~ him for the title.
VERB: V, V n, V n for n
10.
If you ~ an election, you are a candidate in the election and try to win it.
The former party treasurer helped raise almost ?40 million to ~ the election campaign.
VERB: V n
11.
You can use ~ to refer to a contest such as an election or a sports match. (JOURNALISM)
...the ~ for power between the two parties.
= contest
N-COUNT: usu sing
12.
If you ~ a case or a court action, you make a legal case against someone in a very determined way, or you put forward a defence when a legal case is made against you.
Watkins sued the Army and fought his case in various courts for 10 years...
The newspaper is ~ing a damages action brought by the actress.
VERB: V n, V n
13.
Fight is the desire or ability to keep ~ing.
I thought that we had a lot of ~ in us.
N-UNCOUNT
14.
If you ~ an emotion or desire, you try very hard not to feel it, show it, or act on it, but do not always succeed.
I desperately fought the urge to giggle...
He fought with the urge to smoke one of the cigars he’d given up awhile ago...
He fought to be patient with her.
VERB: V n, V with n, V to-inf
15.
If you describe someone as ~ing fit, you are emphasizing that they are very fit or healthy. (BRIT)
After a good night’s sleep I feel ~ing fit again.
PHRASE: v-link PHR emphasis
16.
Someone who is ~ing for their life is making a great effort to stay alive, either when they are being physically attacked or when they are very ill.
He is still ~ing for his life in hospital.
PHRASE: V inflects
17.
to ~ a losing battle: see battle