fight off

phrasal verb

fought off; fighting off; fights off
: to defend oneself against (someone or something) by fighting or struggling : to avoid being harmed or overcome by (someone or something) by fighting or struggling
They fought off the attack/attackers.
I'm trying to fight off a cold.

Dictionary Entries Near fight off

fight like cats and dogs

fight off

fight on

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Fight off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight%20off. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on fight off

Nglish: Translation of fight off for Spanish Speakers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of golem

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2

  • a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
  • The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea.
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games