Meaning & use
fight with
Last updated
Meanings
verbintransitive
To argue or quarrel with someone, often angrily.
Grammar: No object after 'with'; the person you argue with comes after 'with': 'I fought with my brother.'
Patterns
- fight with someone
- fight with someone about something
- fight with someone over something
She fights with her sister about clothes all the time.
They fought with each other over who should pay the bill.
I don't want to fight with you; let's talk calmly.
verbtransitive
To use a particular weapon or tool in a battle or struggle.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'fight with a sword' means use a sword to fight.
Patterns
- fight with a weapon
- fight with fists
- fight with words
In the past, soldiers fought with swords and shields.
He had to fight with his bare hands.
The two men fought with sticks until the police arrived.
verbintransitive
To struggle against something, such as an illness or a problem, often with effort.
Grammar: Used with abstract nouns like 'cancer', 'depression', 'difficulty': 'fight with depression'.
Patterns
- fight with an illness
- fight with a problem
- fight with difficulty
She has been fighting with cancer for two years.
Many small businesses are fighting with rising costs.
He fights with his addiction every day.
Word forms
| third person singular | fights with |
|---|---|
| past tense | fought with |
| past participle | fought with |
| -ing form | fighting with |
Common combinations
- fight with someone about something
- They often fight with their parents about money.
- fight with each other
- The children were fighting with each other over a toy.
- fight with a sword
- The knight fought with a sword and a shield.
- fight with cancer
- He is fighting with cancer and needs our support.
Synonyms and how they differ
- argue with
- Argue with is more general and can be less emotional; fight with suggests a stronger, often angrier conflict.
- quarrel with
- Quarrel with is similar but slightly old-fashioned and often used for minor disagreements.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: fight with or fight against?
fight with vs fight against
Fight against means to oppose or struggle against something (like an idea or disease), while fight with can mean to argue with a person or to use a weapon.
Practice
Choose the sentence where 'fight with' means 'to argue with someone'.
Choose one answer.
'Fight with' meaning 'argue with' is used with a person and often about a topic. Options 0, 2, and 3 use 'fight with' to mean using a weapon or fighting against an enemy, not arguing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fight with”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.