fight

noun  

STRUGGLE
1. countable a struggle against sb/sth using physical force
• ~ (with sb/sth) He got into a fight with a man in the bar.
• I had a fight with the ticket machine, which was being temperamental.
• a street/gang fight
• ~ (between A and B) A fight broke out between rival groups of fans.

• a world title fight (= fighting as a sport, especially boxing )  

TRYING TO GET/DO STH

2. singular the work of trying to destroy, prevent or achieve sth
• ~ (against sth) the fight against crime
• ~ (for sth) a fight for survival

• ~ (to do sth) Workers won their fight to stop compulsory redundancies.  

COMPETITION

3. singular a competition or an act of competing, especially in a sport
• The team put up a good fight (= they played well) but were finally beaten.

• She now has a fight on her hands (= will have to play very well) to make it through to the next round.  

ARGUMENT

4. countable ~ (with sb) (over/about sth) (especially NAmE) an argument about sth
• Did you have a fight with him?

• We had a fight over money.  

BATTLE/WAR

5. countable a battle, especially for a particular place or position

• In the fight for Lemburg, the Austrians were defeated.  

DESIRE TO FIGHT

6. uncountable the desire or ability to keep fighting for sth
• In spite of many defeats, they still had plenty of fight left in them.
• Losing their leader took all the fight out of them.
more at pick a fight at  pick  _v., be spoiling for a fight at  spoil  _v.  
Word Origin:
Old English feohtan (verb), feoht(e), gefeoht (noun), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vechten, gevecht and German fechten, Gefecht.  
Thesaurus:
fight noun
1. C
• He got into a fight in a bar.
brawl • • struggle • • scuffle • • tussle • |journalism clash •
a fight/brawl/struggle/scuffle/tussle/clash with sb
a fight/brawl/struggle/scuffle/tussle/clash between people
a fight/brawl/struggle/scuffle/tussle/clash over sth
be in/get into/be involved in a fight/brawl/scuffle/tussle/clash
2. sing.
• the fight against crime
war • • crusade • • battle • • struggle • • campaign •
a fight/crusade/battle/struggle/campaign for sth
a fight/war/crusade/battle/struggle/campaign against sth
a fight/war/battle/struggle between people
lead/continue the fight/war/crusade/battle/struggle/campaign
Fight, war or crusade? A war is about stopping things, like drugs and crime, that everyone agrees are bad. A fight can be about achieving justice for yourself. A crusade is often about persuading people to share your beliefs about what is right and wrong.
3. C (especially AmE)
• We had a fight over money.
argument • • quarrel • • squabble • • shouting match • • disagreement • • dispute • |BrE, informal row • |informal tiff •
a/an fight/argument/quarrel/squabble/shouting match/disagreement/row/tiff with sb
a/an fight/argument/quarrel/squabble/shouting match/disagreement/dispute/row/tiff between A and B
(a/an) fight/argument/quarrel/squabble/disagreement/dispute/row about/over sb/sth
a/an fight/argument/quarrel/row/dispute breaks out
Fight, argument, quarrel or row? A quarrel, row or fight is usually only between people who know each other:
• We had an argument with the waiter about the bill.
 ¤ We had a quarrel/row/fight with the waiter about the bill. A quarrel is less violent than a row or fight, but it can continue for a period of time; an argument can be violent or it can be a serious discussion.  
Synonyms:
campaign
battle • struggle • drive • war • fight
These are all words for an effort made to achieve or prevent sth.
campaign • a series of planned activities that are intended to achieve a particular social, commercial or political aim: ▪ the campaign for parliamentary reform ◊ ▪ an advertising campaign
battle • a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control: ▪ She finally won the legal battle for compensation. ◊ ▪ the endless battle between man and nature
struggle • a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control: ▪ the struggle for independence ◊ ▪ the struggle between good and evil
battle or struggle?
A struggle is always about things that seem absolutely necessary, such as life and death or freedom. A battle can also be about things that are not absolutely necessary, just desirable, or about the pleasure of winning: ▪ the battle/struggle between good and evil ◊ a legal struggle for compensation ◊ a struggle of wills/wits.
drive • an organized effort by a group of people to achieve sth: ▪ the drive for greater efficiency ◊ ▪ a drive to reduce energy consumption
campaign or drive?
A campaign is usually aimed at getting other people to do sth; a drive may be an attempt by people to get themselves to do sth: ▪ From today, we're going on an ▪ economy drive ▪ ▪ (= we must spend less) ▪. A campaign may be larger, more formal and more organized than a drive.
war • [sing.] an effort over a long period of time to get rid of or stop sth bad: ▪ the war against crime
fight • [sing.] the work of trying to stop or prevent sth bad or achieve sth good; an act of competing, especially in a sport: ▪ Workers won their fight to stop compulsory redundancies.
war or fight?
A war is about stopping things, like drugs and crime, that everyone agrees are bad. A fight can be about achieving justice for yourself.
a campaign/battle/struggle/drive/war/fight against sth
a campaign/battle/struggle/drive/fight for sth
a one-man/one-woman/personal campaign/battle/struggle/war
a bitter campaign/battle/struggle/drive/war/fight
to launch/embark on a campaign/battle/drive
to lead/continue the campaign/battle/struggle/drive/fight
to win/lose a battle/struggle/war/fight 
Synonyms:
fight
clash • brawl • struggle • scuffle
These are all words for a situation in which people try to defeat each other using physical force.
fight • a situation in which two or more people try to defeat each other using physical force: ▪ He got into a fight with a man in the bar.
clash • (journalism) a short fight between two groups of people: ▪ Clashes broke out between police and demonstrators.
brawl • a noisy and violent fight involving a group of people, usually in a public place: ▪ a drunken brawl in a bar
struggle • a fight between two people or groups of people, especially when one of them is trying to escape, or to get sth from the other: ▪ There were no signs of a struggle at the murder scene.
scuffle • a short and not very violent fight or struggle: ▪ He was involved in a scuffle with a photographer.
a fight/clash/brawl/struggle/scuffle over sth
in a fight/brawl/struggle/scuffle
a violent fight/clash/struggle
to be in/get into/be involved in a fight/clash/brawl/scuffle
a fight/clash/brawl/scuffle breaks out  
Example Bank:
• Andy was drunk and spoiling for a fight.
• Are we losing the fight against illegal drugs?
• By 1807 politics had become a fight to the death between the two factions.
• Coal workers are determined to put up a fight to save their jobs.
• Doctors have now joined in the fight to make this treatment available to all.
• Don't get into any more fights!
• He is still engaged in a bitter fight with his old company.
• He killed a man in a fight.
• He tried to pick a fight with me.
• He was killed during a series of running fights outside a disco.
• I don't know who started the fight.
• I'm not giving up without a fight!
• If the polls are wrong and it's a fight to the finish, the result may not be known until all the votes have been counted.
• In a straight fight the army usually won.
• In a straight fight the crusaders usually won; in skirmishes, the Saracens often overcame their more numerous opponents.
• It was a fair fight and Stephen won.
• No doubt Ferguson wants his team to make a fight of it.
• Now he is facing his toughest fight yet— back to fitness after a series of injuries.
• She died at the age of 43 after a brave fight against cancer.
• She just gave up her fight for life.
• She now has a fight on her hands to make it through to the next round.
• She now has a fight on her hands= will have to play very well to make it through to the next round.
• She said they would continue their fight to find a cure for AIDS.
• She vowed to take her fight to the High Court.
• Suddenly the argument developed into a real fight.
• The dog fights took place every Sunday morning.
• The fight for justice goes on.
• The fight for supremacy in the sport is on.
• The fight is on to have this brutal practice stamped out.
• The fight was broken up by a teacher.
• The government has vowed to step up the fight against crime.
• The team put up a good fight but were finally beaten.
• The team put up a good fight= they played well but were finally beaten.
• There's nothing he likes so much as a good fight.
• They got involved in a fight with some older boys.
• They inadvertently got mixed up in a free fight involving some 20 people.
• They nearly had a fight over who should move first.
• This will be a straight fight between Labour and the Conservatives: the other parties are nowhere.
• This will be a straight fight between the two parties.
• Union leaders know that they have a real fight on their hands.
• a long fight to beat inflation
• a new weapon in the fight against car crime
• fights between hostile clans
• fights between police and football fans
• his fight with cancer
• lawyers leading the fight for compensation for the injured workers
• the company's desperate fight for survival in a cut-throat market
• the world title fight between Tyson and Lewis
• their fight for a fair deal
• Did you two have a fight?
• He has lined up a world title fight against Lewis.
• He is unbeaten in 34 fights.
• In the fight for Lemburg, the Austrians lost.
• The government has released new figures in the fight against crime.
• The referee stopped the fight in the third round.
• They got tickets to watch the world title fight.

• a fist fight