fist

1 of 2

noun

1
: the hand clenched with the fingers doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers
2
: the hand closed as in grasping : clutch
3

fist

2 of 2

verb

fisted; fisting; fists

transitive verb

1
: to grip with the fist : handle
2
: to clench into a fist

Examples of fist in a Sentence

Noun He pounded his fist on the table in anger. She pounded on the door with both fists. He defiantly shook his fist at the policeman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In 2016, Copeland famously used a robotic arm to bump fists with President Barack Obama. Jon Hamilton, NPR, 30 June 2025 The crime-thriller centers on Babs Dionne, a proud Franco-American, doting grandmother, and vicious crime matriarch, who rules her small town of Waterville, Maine, with an iron fist. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 June 2025 What have prosecutors said about Diddy? Prosecutor Christy Slavik started to sum up the government’s case against Diddy just after 10 a.m., describing him as a ruthless lawbreaker who used an iron fist — and a network of eager underlings — to meet his every demand. Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 26 June 2025 Shahn was born in Lithuania in 1898, under the fist of Russian rule, and arrived at Ellis Island in 1906, with more than a hundred thousand other Jews from Eastern Europe. Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fist

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English fȳst; akin to Old High German fūst fist, Polish pięść, and probably to Old English fīf five

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fist was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fist. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

fist

noun
ˈfist
1
: the hand clenched with fingers doubled into the palm
2

Medical Definition

fist

noun
: the hand clenched with the fingers doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers

More from Merriam-Webster on fist

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