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to fight

to fight

∞ 1.0
To try hard to oppose or overcome something difficult
  • verb
  • /faɪt/
: 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 push
vsto fight
∞ 1.5

To try hard to achieve something, especially against difficulty

focuses more on opposing or resisting as well as striving to achieve
to struggle
vsto fight
∞ 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 compete
vsto fight
940 2.6

Try to win against others who want the same thing

is more general, covering resisting, opposing, or striving without direct competition
to defend
vsto fight
774 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 oppose
vsto fight
610 2.9

To be against something and try to stop it

is wider, also covering determined attempts to reach positive goals
to battle
vsto fight
352 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
350 2.2

Act against authority, rules or change

is broader, also including active efforts to achieve positive outcomes
to fight back
vsto fight
262 3.3

Resist an attack or criticism by responding

is more general, covering both initiating and replying to opposition
to combat
vsto fight
137 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 fight off
vsto fight
94 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 contend
vsto fight
62 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
55 6.7

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

is broader, also including calm resistance or steady efforts
to stand up against
vsto fight
26 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
9 8.0

Fight or compete hard until one side wins

is like that but can also mean resisting without a decisive end
to join battle
vsto fight
7 7.3

To take part in a fight or argument

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

Antonyms

870 3.5

To tolerate an unpleasant situation without complaining

111 4.2

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

Idioms

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

12 5.3

To use the same harsh methods as someone who attacks you

6 6.5

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

2 8.5

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

1 6.1

To try very hard to stay alive in a dangerous situation

Defend your ideas or what you want when others disagree

Phrasal Verbs

262 3.3

Resist an attack or criticism by responding

94 3.7

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

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

Attack and try to defeat imaginary creatures in games or stories

To try hard to hold back a strong feeling

1 7.7

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

to chicken-fight
  • Informal
1 8.8

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

Compounds

16 7.4

A violent attack between people using knives to hurt each other

14 1.0

A playful game where people hit each other with pillows

6 5.1

A violent fight between rival criminal groups

prize fight
  • Archaic
5 3.9

A boxing match between professional boxers to win money

mud fight
  • Informal
2 2.5

People play by throwing or smearing mud at each other

proxy fight
  • Literature
1 9.0

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

A very serious disagreement that becomes loud and violent

1 9.1

A large formal party for an important occasion

How Determined

to battle
352 2.7
to fight
∞ 1.0
to struggle
∞ 2.8
to resist
350 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.