battle

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A fight between armies or large groups, usually in one place and over a limited period.

   Grammar: Often with of: the Battle of Hastings.

   Patterns

   • the battle of somewhere
   • a battle between someone and someone
   • a battle for something

   The battle lasted three days and ended in a retreat.

   Thousands of soldiers died at the battle of the river.

   The museum displays maps of the battle.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A hard struggle between rivals or against something difficult, such as an illness or a problem.

   Grammar: Often with for, against or with: a battle against cancer.

   Patterns

   • a battle against something
   • a battle with someone
   • a battle for something

   She won her long battle against illness.

   The two companies are locked in a battle for customers.

   Getting my toddler dressed is a daily battle.

3. 3verbtransitive or intransitive

   To fight or work hard against an opponent or difficulty for a long time.

   Grammar: Often with against or with: battle against the wind; or battle the flood.

   Patterns

   • battle against something
   • battle with someone
   • battle for something

   Firefighters battled the blaze through the night.

   He has been battling with his weight for years.

   Both teams are battling for the championship.

Word forms

Common combinations

fight a battle

They fought a battle for the right to vote.

win the battle

We may lose this skirmish but still win the battle.

a losing battle

Trying to keep the garden tidy with five dogs is a losing battle.

battle of wits

The chess match became a battle of wits.

battle for control

There was a battle for control of the company.

battle against time

Rescuers were in a battle against time.

Synonyms and how they differ

fight

Fight is more general and can be brief or small, while battle suggests a larger or longer clash.

struggle

Struggle stresses effort against difficulty, while battle adds a sense of opposition between two sides.

combat

Combat is formal or military and refers to fighting in general, not a specific event.

conflict

Conflict covers any lasting disagreement and may not involve active fighting at all.

Opposites

Word family

battlefield noun

the place where a battle is fought

battleship noun

a large armored warship

battler noun

someone who keeps fighting despite difficulty

battlement noun

a defensive wall with openings on top of a castle

Commonly confused: battle or war?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “battle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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