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to fight

to fight

1.0
To try hard to oppose or overcome something difficult
  • verb
  • /faɪt/
translation icon : luchar
  • The administration fought disease, becoming the largest donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
  • fight back
  • fight for rights
  • fight corruption

It means it's time for you to fight harder to dig in.

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Examples

  • And from then on, we just kept on fighting.

  • I am the man who will fight for your honor.

  • I said, but good luck because we're going to fight for this.

  • So he used the words to fight for freedom.

  • We will, you know, we will fight for our family.

  • And they then saw a chance to fight for him, right?

  • Are these the people we have to fight all the time?

    Academic text (2011)
  • Embrace your ideals and fight for them with all your heart.

  • The NGOs have proved their ability to fight corruption, demand transparency, and promote truly democratic government.

    Academic text (1999)
  • She decided to fight for her dreams despite the challenges she faced.

Synonyms

to try
vsto fight
1.0

To make an effort to do something difficult

is stronger, implying determined opposition or sustained effort rather than a simple attempt
to oppose
vsto fight
2.9

To be against something and try to stop it

is wider, also covering determined attempts to reach positive goals
to defend
vsto fight
1.3

To protect people and things from attack or harm

is wider, also meaning to try hard to achieve aims or oppose ideas
to compete
vsto fight
983 2.6

Try to win against others who want the same thing

is more general, covering resisting, opposing, or striving without direct competition
to struggle
vsto fight
851 2.8

To try very hard to do or deal with something difficult

is similar but also includes opposing others, not only overcoming problems
to push
vsto fight
731 1.5

To try hard to achieve something, especially against difficulty

focuses more on opposing or resisting as well as striving to achieve
to battle
vsto fight
372 2.7

To fight against someone or something for a long time

is broader, also covering single acts of resisting or trying to achieve something
to resist
vsto fight
311 2.2

Act against authority, rules or change

is broader, also including active efforts to achieve positive outcomes
to fight back
vsto fight
188 3.3

Resist an attack or criticism by responding

is more general, covering both initiating and replying to opposition
to combat
vsto fight
122 4.1

To fight something harmful like a disease or unfair treatment

is wider, including trying to achieve goals as well as stopping threats
to contend
vsto fight
66 3.7

Compete with others to try to win something

is broader, covering resisting or trying to achieve beyond competition
to go at it
vsto fight
  • Informal
56 6.7

Act with a lot of energy, often fighting, arguing, or working hard

is broader, also including calm resistance or steady efforts
to fight off
vsto fight
51 3.7

To keep away an attack, illness, or strong unwanted feeling

is broader, also meaning to try hard to achieve or oppose things
to stand up against
vsto fight
22 3.7

To resist a person or rule that treats people unfairly

is broader, applying to many situations of resisting, opposing, or achieving
to slug it out
vsto fight
  • Informal
7 8.0

Fight or compete hard until one side wins

is like that but can also mean resisting without a decisive end
to go to the mat
vsto fight
  • Informal
5 7.6

Argue strongly to protect an idea or position

is more general, applying also to active attempts to achieve something
to join battle
vsto fight
3 7.3

To take part in a fight or argument

is broader, also including resisting or striving without formally joining a conflict

Antonyms

3.5

To tolerate an unpleasant situation without complaining

77 4.2

Giving up after defeat, for example when an army stops fighting

Idioms

23 6.1

To try very hard to stay alive in a dangerous situation

To keep fighting until one side is defeated, even if people die

10 5.3

To use the same harsh methods as someone who attacks you

4 6.5

Try very hard to do something even though you will probably fail

1 8.5

To try to challenge the government or people in power when success seems unlikely

Defend your ideas or what you want when others disagree

Phrasal Verbs

188 3.3

Resist an attack or criticism by responding

51 3.7

To keep away an attack, illness, or strong unwanted feeling

To try to make things fair and protect people's rights

To try hard to hold back a strong feeling

Attack and try to defeat imaginary creatures in games or stories

to chicken-fight
  • Informal
1 8.8

To sit on another person's shoulders and try to knock the other person off

To avoid doing something because you do not want to try it

Compounds

10 1.0

A playful game where people hit each other with pillows

9 7.4

A violent attack between people using knives to hurt each other

4 5.1

A violent fight between rival criminal groups

prize fight
  • Archaic
3 3.9

A boxing match between professional boxers to win money

proxy fight
  • Literature
1 9.0

An attempt by some shareholders to get enough votes to replace company leaders and gain control

mud fight
  • Informal
1 2.5

People play by throwing or smearing mud at each other

9.1

A large formal party for an important occasion

A very serious disagreement that becomes loud and violent

How Determined

to battle
372 2.7
to fight
1.0
to struggle
851 2.8
to resist
311 2.2
to try
1.0

Surface Forms

fight infinitive
fighting present participle
fights third person singular
fought past
fought past participle

Etymology

The verb fight comes from an old English word feohtan meaning 'to struggle', and from that it grew the meaning 'to try hard against something'. So to fight for a cause is to work hard to resist or win against it.