Meaning & use
picking a fight
Last updated
“picking a fight” is a form of “pick a fight”.
Meanings
phraseidiom
Deliberately starting an argument or quarrel with someone, often for no good reason.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; often followed by "with someone" to name the person you are arguing with.
Patterns
- picking a fight with someone
- picking a fight over something
He came home in a bad mood and started picking a fight with his brother about the dishes.
She accused me of picking a fight, but I was only trying to explain my point.
Stop picking a fight over every little thing; it's exhausting.
phraseidiom
Looking for a reason to argue or compete aggressively, sometimes to prove strength.
Grammar: Often used in the continuous form to describe an ongoing behavior or intention.
Patterns
- picking a fight with someone
- picking a fight over something
The team seemed to be picking a fight with the referees from the very first minute.
Some people pick a fight when they feel ignored.
He was picking a fight with anyone who disagreed with him.
Word forms
| base form | pick a fight |
|---|---|
| third person singular | picks a fight |
| past tense | picked a fight |
| past participle | picked a fight |
| -ing form | picking a fight |
Common combinations
- pick a fight with someone
- Don't pick a fight with the boss unless you have a good reason.
- pick a fight over something
- They picked a fight over who should pay the bill.
- start picking a fight
- He started picking a fight as soon as he walked in.
- keep picking a fight
- If you keep picking a fight, you'll lose all your friends.
Synonyms and how they differ
- provoke
- Provoke is more formal and can mean to cause a reaction, not just an argument; picking a fight is more specific to starting a quarrel.
- antagonize
- Antagonize means to make someone feel hostile, often over time; picking a fight is a single deliberate act of starting an argument.
- start an argument
- This is a neutral phrase; picking a fight suggests the person is doing it on purpose and perhaps unfairly.
Opposites
Word family
- pick a fight phrase
- The base form of the idiom, meaning to deliberately start an argument.
Commonly confused: picking a fight or pick a fight?
picking a fight vs pick a fight
This is the base form; "picking a fight" is the -ing form used after be or in continuous tenses. Don't confuse the two when writing.
Practice
Which sentence uses "picking a fight" correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct preposition after "picking a fight" is "with" someone. The other prepositions (to, for, on) do not fit this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “picking a fight”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.