Fought

fɔːt

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings3 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To engage in a physical or verbal conflict; to contend against an opponent or obstacle.

fɔːt

verbneutralBeginner
General

Engaged in a physical or verbal conflict

The soldiers fought bravely for their country.

💡 Simply: Fought means you had a battle or a disagreement with someone. Like when you and your friend fight over a toy or like when two teams play a game to see who wins.

👶 For kids: When you fought, you were trying to win something, like a game or an argument.

More Examples

2

He fought his fear of heights by climbing the mountain.

3

They fought over the last piece of cake.

How It's Used

General

"The two armies fought fiercely on the battlefield."

Politics

"The senator fought for the rights of the marginalized."

Sports

"The boxers fought for the championship title."

2

To struggle or strive for something; to contend with a difficult situation or opponent.

fɔːt

verbpositivemedium
General

To make a determined attempt to achieve or obtain something

She fought for her place in the team.

💡 Simply: Fought can also mean you worked really hard to get something or make something better. Like if you fought to be a better friend or fought to get good grades.

👶 For kids: When you fought for something, you tried really hard to get it or make it happen.

More Examples

2

The company fought for its market share.

3

He fought to maintain his composure.

How It's Used

Social Justice

"Activists fought for civil rights."

Health

"The patient fought a long battle with cancer."

Personal Development

"She fought to overcome her insecurities."

Tip:Imagine a person tirelessly fighting for a cause. Fought is about the effort to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle.

Idioms & expressions

fight fire with fire

To respond to an attack or problem with similar tactics or methods.

"They decided to fight fire with fire and counter their opponent's negative campaign with their own."

fight tooth and nail

To do everything possible to achieve something; to fight fiercely.

"She fought tooth and nail to get the job."

pick a fight

To deliberately start a physical or verbal conflict.

"He was trying to pick a fight with anyone who looked at him."

Past tense and past participle of the verb 'fight', originating from Old English 'feohtan'.

Used extensively throughout history to describe armed conflicts and struggles.

Memory tip

Think of a knight in shining armor, fighting a dragon. Fought means they had a battle!

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"feohtan - to fight"

fought backfought hardfought bravelyfought forfought against

Common misspellings

fautfout

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written