: any of various Chinese martial arts and related disciplines that are practiced especially for self-defense, exercise, and spiritual growth

Examples of kung fu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Swift simply refuses to pass this baton, and her kung fu grip on pop’s crown handicapped this record and watered down her best qualities. Bianca Davino, Refinery29, 7 Oct. 2025 Leto, meanwhile, stays in character throughout the exchange and strikes a playful kung fu pose of his own before grinning as the robot continues its routine. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025 So few Americans have fought seriously that the warrior can seem like a figure of legend, a real-life version of the kung fu master or old-West gunslinger. Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025 In a summer of new adventures, ranging from kung fu training at a Shaolin temple in China to bicycle kicks on a soccer pitch in Japan, Wembanyama wanted to try one more novel thing. Jared Weiss, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kung fu

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Beijing) gōngfu skill, art

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kung fu was in 1870

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kung fu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kung%20fu. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

: a Chinese art of self-defense resembling karate

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