I.
noun
1 struggle using physical force
ADJECTIVE
▪ big
▪ fierce
▪ brutal , nasty , vicious
▪ real
▪
Suddenly the argument developed into a real ~.
▪ good
▪
There's nothing he likes so much as a good ~.
▪ clean , fair
▪
It was a fair ~ and Stephen won.
▪ close
▪ running
▪
He was killed during a series of running ~s outside a disco.
▪ stand-up , straight
▪
In a straight ~ the army usually won.
▪ bar ( AmE ), pub ( BrE ), street
▪ gang
▪ fist , knife , sword
▪ food , pillow , snowball , water
▪ championship , title
▪
the world title ~ between Tyson and Lewis
▪ professional
▪ heavyweight , etc.
▪ bull (usually bullfight ) , cock , dog
▪ boss (in computer games)
VERB + FIGHT
▪ pick , start
▪
He tried to pick a ~ with me.
▪
I don't know who started the ~.
▪ be asking for ( esp. AmE ), be looking for , be spoiling for , want
▪
Andy was drunk and spoiling for a ~.
▪ be in , get into , get involved in , have
▪
Don't get into any more ~s!
▪ break up , stop
▪
The ~ was broken up by a teacher.
▪ win
▪ lose
▪ see , watch
FIGHT + VERB
▪ take place
▪
The dog ~s took place every Sunday morning.
▪ break out , erupt , start
▪ ensue
▪
A ~ ensued which left one man dead.
FIGHT + NOUN
▪ scene , sequence
▪ club ( esp. AmE )
▪ fan
PREPOSITION
▪ in a/the ~
▪
He killed a man in a ~.
▪ ~ about , ~ over
▪
They nearly had a ~ over who should move first.
▪ ~ between
▪
~s between hostile clans
▪ ~ with
▪
They got involved in a ~ with some older boys.
2 trying to get/do sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ brave , good , strong
▪
She died at the age of 43 after a brave ~ against cancer.
▪ hard , long , real , tough , uphill ( AmE )
▪
a long ~ to beat inflation
▪ bitter , desperate
▪ legal
▪ custody ( esp. AmE )
VERB + FIGHT
▪ put up
▪
Coal workers are determined to put up a ~ to save their jobs.
▪ lead , spearhead ( esp. BrE )
▪
lawyers leading the ~ for compensation for the injured workers
▪ join , join in
▪
Doctors have now joined in the ~ to make this treatment available to all.
▪ face
▪
Now he is facing his toughest ~ yet—back to fitness after a series of injuries.
▪ be engaged in
▪
He is still engaged in a bitter ~ with his old company.
▪ carry on , continue , keep up
▪
She said they would continue their ~ to find a cure for AIDS.
▪ step up
▪
The government has vowed to step up the ~ against crime.
▪ take
▪
She vowed to take her ~ to the High Court.
▪ win
▪ lose
▪
Are we losing the ~ against illegal drugs?
▪ give up
▪
She just gave up her ~ for life.
FIGHT + VERB
▪ be on
▪
The ~ is on to have this brutal practice stamped out.
▪ continue , go on
▪
The ~ for justice goes on.
PREPOSITION
▪ without a ~
▪
I'm not giving up without a ~!
▪ ~ against , ~ with ( AmE )
▪
a new weapon in the ~ against car crime
▪
his ~ with cancer
▪ ~ for
▪
their ~ for a fair deal
PHRASES
▪ a ~ for life , a ~ for survival
▪
the company's desperate ~ for survival in a cut-throat market
▪ have a ~ on your hands
▪
Union leaders know that they have a real ~ on their hands.
3 competition
ADJECTIVE
▪ brave , good , great , strong , tremendous
▪ straight
VERB + FIGHT
▪ put up
▪
The team put up a good ~ (= they played well) but were finally beaten.
FIGHT + VERB
▪ be on
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ between
▪
This will be a straight ~ between the two parties.
▪ ~ for
▪
The ~ for supremacy in the sport is on.
PHRASES
▪ a ~ to the death ( figurative )
▪
By 1807 politics had become a ~ to the death between the two factions.
▪ a ~ to the finish
▪
If the polls are wrong and it's a ~ to the finish, the result may not be known until all the votes have been counted.
▪ have a ~ on your hands
▪
She now has a ~ on her hands (= will have to play very well) to make it through to the next round.
▪ make a ~ of it
▪
No doubt Ferguson wants his team to make a ~ of it.
4 ( esp. AmE ) argument
ADJECTIVE
▪ big , huge , terrible
▪ petty , stupid
▪ little
VERB + FIGHT
▪ have
▪ cause
▪ get into , pick , provoke , start
II.
verb
1 in a war/battle
ADVERB
▪ bravely , gallantly , valiantly
▪ bitterly , fiercely , hard
▪ effectively
▪ back , off
VERB + FIGHT
▪ be prepared to , be ready to
▪
He did not believe that the enemy was ready to ~.
▪ continue to
PREPOSITION
▪ against
▪
They fought bravely against the enemy.
▪ alongside
▪
He fought alongside his comrades.
▪ for
▪
They fought for control of the island.
▪ over
▪
They were ~ing over disputed land.
▪ with
▪
He taught me how to ~ with a sword.
PHRASES
▪ ~ to the death
▪
The soldiers were prepared to ~ to the death if they had to.
2 struggle against/hit sb
ADVERB
▪ bitterly , hard
▪ dirty
▪ back , off
▪
He was stabbed as he tried to ~ the robbers off.
VERB + FIGHT
▪ be prepared to
PREPOSITION
▪ against
▪
She fought hard against his strong grip.
▪ with
▪
Riot police fought with militants demonstrating in support of the uprising.
3 in a contest
ADVERB
▪ bitterly , hard
▪ successfully
VERB + FIGHT
▪ be determined to , be prepared to , be ready to
▪
We need a good manager who is prepared to ~ for a fair share of the funds.
▪ continue to
PREPOSITION
▪ for
▪
Regional monopolies were bitterly fought for.
PHRASES
▪ fiercely fought
▪
The second half was fiercely fought, but neither side managed to score.
4 try to stop/achieve sth
ADVERB
▪ hard , like a tiger , tooth and nail (= in a very determined way)
▪
He fought hard to overcome his disability.
▪
She'll ~ like a tiger to protect her children.
▪
The residents are ~ing tooth and nail to stop the new development.
▪ doggedly , stubbornly , tenaciously
▪ desperately
▪ successfully
▪ back
▪
It is time to ~ back against street crime.
VERB + FIGHT
▪ be determined to , be prepared to , be ready to , vow to
▪ continue to
▪ help (to)
PREPOSITION
▪ against
▪
They are committed to ~ing against racism.
▪ for
▪
We are ~ing for equal rights.
5 argue
ADVERB
▪ bitterly
▪ constantly
PREPOSITION
▪ about
▪
It's a trivial matter and not worth ~ing about.
▪ over
▪
Children will ~ even over small things.
▪ with
▪
He's always ~ing with his brother.
PHRASES
▪ ~ like cat and dog ( BrE ), ~ like cats and dogs ( AmE )
Fight is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ army , ↑ firefighter , ↑ hero , ↑ military , ↑ protester , ↑ rebel , ↑ soldier , ↑ troops , ↑ veteran , ↑ warrior
Fight is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ AIDS , ↑ army , ↑ bacteria , ↑ battle , ↑ blaze , ↑ campaign , ↑ cancer , ↑ communism , ↑ corruption , ↑ crime , ↑ demon , ↑ discrimination , ↑ disease , ↑ election , ↑ emotion , ↑ enemy , ↑ epidemic , ↑ evil , ↑ extradition , ↑ fatigue , ↑ feeling , ↑ fire , ↑ flame , ↑ foe , ↑ force , ↑ grin , ↑ HIV , ↑ illness , ↑ impulse , ↑ infection , ↑ inflation , ↑ injustice , ↑ instinct , ↑ menace , ↑ monster , ↑ occupation , ↑ opponent , ↑ oppression , ↑ plan , ↑ pollution , ↑ poverty , ↑ prejudice , ↑ racism , ↑ rebel , ↑ recession , ↑ revolution , ↑ seat , ↑ sexism , ↑ system , ↑ temptation , ↑ terror , ↑ terrorism , ↑ tyranny , ↑ urge , ↑ virus , ↑ war , ↑ way