From Middle English fighten, from Old English feohtan, from Proto-West Germanic *fehtan, from Proto-Germanic *fehtaną, from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ-.

Cognate with Scots fecht, Western Frisian fjochtsje, fjuchte ("to fight"), Dutch vechten, Low German fechten, German fechten, Swedish fäkta, Latin pectō, Albanian pjek, Ancient Greek πέκω. Related also to Old English feht.

• enPR: fīt, IPA: /faɪt/
• (America, Canada) IPA: [fʌɪt]

fight (fights, present participle fighting; simple past and past participle fought)

1. Senses relating to physical conflict:
   1. (transitive) To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.

      My grandfather fought the Nazis in World War II.

   2. (transitive) To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.).

      Our soldiers fought the battle just over that hill.

      • 1856 December, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC ↗:

        was left to fight his way through the world.

      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, 2 Timothy 4:7 ↗:

        I have fought a good fight.

   3. (intransitive) To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc.

      A wounded animal will fight tooth and nail; relentless, savage and murderous.

   4. (reciprocal) To contend in physical conflict with each other, either singly or in war, battle etc.

      The two boxers have been fighting for more than half an hour.

   5. (causative, archaic) To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.

      to fight cocks; to fight one's ship

2. (intransitive) To strive for something; to campaign or contend for success.

   He fought for the Democrats in the last election.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, 1 Timothy 6:12 ↗:

     Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

   • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC ↗:

     Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern. Then, for a jiffy, I hung on and fought for breath.

3. (transitive) To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.

   The government pledged to fight corruption.

   • 2014, Ann Aguirre, The Shape of My Heart, page 42:

     I fought a sneeze as Max took my hand and led me into the chapel.

4. (intransitive) Of colours or other design elements: to clash; to fail to harmonize.

• See also Thesaurus:fight

• French: se battre, guerroyer in war
• German: kämpfen, fechten, streiten (archaic)
• Italian: lottare, azzuffarsi, battersi
• Portuguese: lutar com, contra
• Russian: дра́ться
• Spanish: pelear, luchar, batirse

• German: kämpfen
• Italian: combattere
• Portuguese: lutar
• Russian: боро́ться
• Spanish: luchar

• Portuguese: lutar
• Russian: би́ться

• French: combattre
• German: kämpfen gegen, kämpfen mit
• Italian: combattere
• Portuguese: combater, lutar
• Russian: би́ться
• Spanish: combatir

• French: combattre
• German: bekämpfen
• Italian: lottare
• Portuguese: lutar contra, combater, enfrentar
• Russian: би́ться

From Middle English fight, feyght, fiȝt, fecht, from Old English feoht, ġefeoht, from Proto-West Germanic *fehtan, from Proto-Germanic *fehtą, *gafehtą, from Proto-Germanic *fehtaną.

fight

1. An occasion of fighting.

   One of them got stuck in a chokehold and got stabbed to death during the fight.

2. (archaic) A battle between opposing armies.
3. A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.

   Watch your language! Are you looking for a fight?

4. (sports) A boxing or martial arts match.

   I'm going to Nick’s to watch the big fight tomorrow night.

5. A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.

   I'll put up a fight to save this company.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC ↗:

     ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […] ? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?

6. (uncountable) The will or ability to fight.

   That little guy has a bit of fight in him after all.   As soon as he saw the size of his opponent, all the fight went out of him.

7. (obsolete) A screen for the combatants in ships; an arming.
   • 1673 May (first performance), John Dryden, Amboyna. A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1673, →OCLC ↗, Act III, page 31 ↗:

     Who ever ſaw a noble ſight, / That never view'd a brave Sea Fight: / Hang up your bloody Colours in the Aire, / Up with your Fights, and your Nettings prepare, / Your Merry Mates chear, with a luſty bold ſpright, / Now each Man his brindice, and then to the Fight, […]

• See also Thesaurus:fight

• French: lutte, combat
• German: Kampf
• Italian: lotta, incontro
• Portuguese: luta, briga
• Russian: дра́ка
• Spanish: lucha

• French: bataille
• German: Kampf, Schlacht, Gefecht
• Italian: battaglia, combattimento
• Portuguese: batalha, luta, combate
• Russian: би́тва
• Spanish: pelea, combate, lucha

• French: bagarre
• German: Keilerei, Prügelei
• Italian: rissa
• Portuguese: briga
• Russian: дра́ка

• French: combat
• Italian: combattimento, incontro
• Portuguese: luta, combate
• Russian: бой
• Spanish: combate

• French: combativité
• German: Streit
• Portuguese: luta
• Russian: борьба́
• Spanish: lucha

• German: Kampfgeist
• Portuguese: combatividade