well fought

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   used to praise someone for trying hard in a competition, even if they did not win

   Grammar: It works as a comment on a whole contest, not as an adjective before a noun: say 'It was well fought,' not 'a well fought match'.

   Patterns

   • well fought
   • a well-fought game
   • a well-fought battle

   After the final whistle, the coach told the players, 'Well fought, everyone.'

   It was a well-fought match, and both sides deserved credit.

   She lost the debate, but everyone agreed it was well fought.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   won or achieved only after a hard struggle

   Grammar: This use goes before a noun and takes a hyphen: 'a well-fought victory'.

   Patterns

   • a well-fought victory
   • a well-fought campaign

   The election was a well-fought contest that went down to the last votes.

   They celebrated a well-fought victory after extra time.

Common combinations

well fought, everyone

Well fought, everyone — we can be proud of that performance.

a well-fought game

It was a well-fought game from start to finish.

a well-fought battle

The campaign was a well-fought battle for the local hospital.

a well-fought contest

The two teams produced a well-fought contest.

Synonyms and how they differ

hard-fought

Use 'hard-fought' before a noun to stress the difficulty of the struggle; 'well fought' usually praises the effort as a comment.

close-fought

This stresses that the result was very near; 'well fought' stresses effort rather than a narrow score.

Commonly confused: well fought or well fought vs. well-fought?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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