Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
full-blown fight

full-blown fight

5.6
A very serious disagreement that becomes loud and violent
  • noun
  • /fʊl bloʊn faɪt/
translation icon : pelea a gran escala
  • What started as a minor dispute soon erupted into a full-blown fight.

Examples

  • After hours of tension, their disagreement became a full-blown fight in front of everyone.

  • The movie ended with a full-blown fight between the two main characters.

  • What a full-blown fight that was!

  • The argument escalated into a full-blown fight!

  • The heated disagreement between the two teams quickly escalated into a full-blown fight on the field.

  • After days of simmering tension, the coworkers finally had a full-blown fight that left everyone shocked.

  • The debate turned sour, resulting in a full-blown fight that disrupted the entire meeting.

Synonyms

fight
vsfull-blown fight
675 2.4

A strong argument between people or groups, often public

is a dispute that grew completely into its most serious stage
showdown
vsfull-blown fight
101 4.3

A final meeting where two sides face each other to settle a dispute

is a confrontation that developed fully and reached peak intensity
altercation
vsfull-blown fight
52 6.8

A noisy argument between people often in public

is a dispute that developed fully and reached maximum intensity

Antonyms

petty argument
1 3.0

A small disagreement about something unimportant

to skirmish over
6.7

Argue a little about something, like where to eat

How Intense

full-blown fight
5.6
brawl
60 4.6
to fight
∞ 1.0
argument
617 2.3
disagreement
268 1.6

Surface Forms

full-blown fight singular
full-blown fights plural

Morphology

full-blown + fight

The sense 'a fully developed or intense fight' is partly derivable from 'full' (complete) combined with the participial form 'blown' to signal a developed/state, so a learner who knows the constituents can often infer a heightened or fully realized conflict. However, 'full-blown' is a lexicalized adjective and the role of 'blown' is somewhat metaphorical, so the exact nuance may not be fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Full-blown fight may come from the image of a flower that is full and blown, meaning it is fully open and at its strongest. So a 'full-blown fight' is a fight that has grown completely and is very intense.