fight off

fight  (ft)

v. fought (fôt), fight·ing, fights

v.intr.

1.

a. To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons.

b. Sports To engage in boxing or wrestling.

2. To engage in a quarrel; argue: They are always fighting about money.

3. To strive vigorously and resolutely: fought against graft; fighting for her rights.

v.tr.

1.

a. To contend with physically or in battle.

b. To wage or carry on (a battle).

c. To contend for, by or as if by combat: "I now resolved that Calais should be fought to the death" (Winston S. Churchill).

2.

a. Sports To box or wrestle against in a ring.

b. To participate in (a boxing match, for example).

3. To set (a boxer, for example) in combat with another. See Synonyms at oppose.

4. To contend with or struggle against: fight cancer; fight temptation.

5. To try to prevent the development or success of.

6. To make (one's way) by struggle or striving: fought my way to the top.

n.

1. A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.

2. A quarrel or conflict.

3.

a. A physical conflict between two or more individuals.

b. Sports A boxing or wrestling match.

4. A struggle to achieve an objective. See Synonyms at conflict.

5. The power or inclination to fight; pugnacity: I just didn't have any fight left in me.

Phrasal Verb:

fight off

To defend against or drive back (a hostile force, for example).

Idioms:

fight fire with fire

To combat one evil or one set of negative circumstances by reacting in kind.

fight shy of

To avoid meeting or confronting.

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[Middle English fighten, from Old English feohtan, fihtan.]

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fighta·bili·ty n.

fighta·ble adj.

fighting·ly adv.

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fight off

vb (tr, adverb)

1. to repulse; repel

2. to struggle to avoid or repress to fight off a cold

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

fight off - force or drive back; "repel the attacker"; "fight off the onslaught"; "rebuff the attack" drive back, repulse, rebuff, repel fight down, oppose, fight, fight back, defend - fight against or resist strongly; "The senator said he would oppose the bill"; "Don't fight it!"

Translations

? fight off

vt sep (Mil, fig) attack, disease, attacker → abwehren; sleep → ankämpfen gegen; I’m still trying to fight off this cold → ich kämpfe immer noch mit dieser Erkältung; she has to keep fighting men off → sie muss dauernd Männer abwimmeln