to fend for oneself
1
5.6
- phrasal verb
- Informal
- After losing her job, she realized she would have to fend for herself financially.
Examples
-
Out there you've got to fend for yourself.
Fiction book (1996) -
I can fend for myself.
-
Then you might have to fend for yourself.
-
Like, from here on out, I was gonna have to fend for myself.
-
Folks out here learn to fend for themselves.
-
No thank you, I will fend for myself and do just fine.
Blog text (6) -
Turns out, when left to fend for herself, she gets into trouble.
Blog text (28) -
I would never abandon you... and leave you to fend for yourself.
-
Williams soon died, leaving his wife to fend for herself financially.
Academic text (2005) -
No child should ever be alone, unloved, and left to fend for himself.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
32
5.3
To do something without help from other people
To support yourself without help from other people
To be independent and take care of yourself without help
Antonyms
How Independent
- Informal
1
5.6
477
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to look after oneself without help' is directly derivable from combining 'fend' (to manage/provide) with the prepositional phrase 'for oneself' indicating doing something on one’s own behalf. This verb + for + oneself pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings should understand the MWE.
Etymology
Fend for oneself comes from the old verb fend, which meant to push danger away. Imagine a person alone fighting off animals and finding food; they must fend for oneself, so the phrase means 'to look after oneself'.