fighting trim
1
7.5
- noun
- Informal
:
en forma
- Even at 70 years old, she maintains her fighting trim by exercising regularly.
Examples
-
Both of them knew that Speight already regarded the fight as lost and done with: if a professional opponent in good fighting trim has gone deep enough into a bout to be genuinely tired, it means he has already earned his paycheck by putting up a creditable battle.
Academic text (2000) -
We're getting you in fighting trim.
Fiction book (1996) -
The athlete worked hard for months to get back into fighting trim before the championship.
-
After a rigorous training program, he was finally in fighting trim for the upcoming marathon.
Synonyms
76
2.6
A person who is fit and healthy because they exercise regularly
5
3.0
Neat and slim in shape or style
1
3.0
Being fit and healthy because of regular exercise
1
8.1
Very lean and muscular with muscles you can clearly see
Antonyms
How Fit
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts 'fighting' (related to combat/readiness) and 'trim' (fit, well-maintained) combine in a way that points to being physically fit and ready for fighting, so a B1 learner who knows both words could infer the general sense. However, the phrase is a conventionalized collocation with a somewhat specialized, idiomatic nuance ('ready/in excellent condition'), so its exact pragmatic usage may not be fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase fighting trim comes from boxers and soldiers who kept their bodies and gear trim, meaning neat and lean, for fighting. So fighting trim means being in very good shape and 'ready' for action.