fist

noun

\ ˈfist

How to pronounce fist (audio)

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Definition of fist

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 : index sense 5

fist

verb

fisted; fisting; fists

Definition of fist (Entry 2 of 2)

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: Noun

Alley says that the rocks that hit the vehicle were between fist-sized and 12 inches in diameter. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Rockfall on scenic national park road kills teen in car," 13 Aug. 2019 There was Miley Cyrus who, while performing in Kosovo, went for a sleek gothcore look in a pair of skin-tight patent leather pants that were fastened with a fist-sized Gucci belt buckle and Rombaut shoes. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "The Best Fashion Instagrams of the Week: Miley Cyrus , Cardi B, and More," 10 Aug. 2019 The doorbell’s ring is followed by a chorus of greeting from women seated around mismatched tables of different sizes and colors drawn together and covered in fist-sized balls of yarn. — Lily Jackson | Ljackson@al.com, al, "Securing a sanctuary: Local yarn shop strives to keep the peace," 26 July 2019 The show opens with a massive self-portrait titled Me (2019): Fratino’s face half covered by shadow, a shy smile playing across his lips, fist-sized pupils flecked with green, like solid orbs of malachite. — Christopher Alessandrini, The New York Review of Books, "‘Boys Do It Better’: The Paintings of Louis Fratino," 18 May 2019 Other bones were strewn down a rugged hillside covered in mesquite trees, wild grasses and jagged fist-sized rocks. — Rob O'dell, azcentral, "What dead pigs can teach us about missing bodies in the Arizona desert," 5 July 2018 One of them always slams her fist down on the table; a woman’s wine glass once smashed in her hand. — Gabriella Paiella, The Cut, "Here’s Way More Than We Wanted to Know About George Stephanopoulos’s Sex Life," 16 Apr. 2018 One of them always slams her fist on the table; one friend’s wineglass once broke in her hand. — Ali Wentworth, Town & Country, "When Did a Happy Marriage Become So Taboo?," 6 Apr. 2018 The former staffer told CNN the congressman regularly described aides with an expletive and would break into screaming fits of rage, slamming his fists on desks. — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, "Rep. Blake Farenthold, under fire for sexual harassment allegations, resigns," 6 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Roommate disagreements could quickly escalate to fist fights. — Dallas News, "How this Texas college gives every single student help with trauma, mental health," 6 July 2019 Her mom found Hongyue frozen at the kitchen table, hand fisted over her chest, staring down at a pristine sheet of rice paper. — Veronica Chambers, New York Times, "Viewfinders: 10 Y.A. Novelists Spin Fiction From Vintage Photos," 28 June 2019 In the midst of it, Ozuna fisted a fastball into left field for a run-scoring single that tied the score 1-1. — Maria Torres, latimes.com, "Griffin Canning keeps his cool, but Angels fall to Cardinals 5-1," 21 June 2019 The government’s response to images of those rescuers at work was ham-fisted, with the Information Ministry calling them a hoax. — Washington Post, "When disaster hits, Indonesia’s Islamists are first to help," 11 June 2019 The government's response to images of those rescuers at work was ham-fisted, with the Information Ministry calling them a hoax. — Stephen Wright, Fox News, "When disaster hits, Indonesia's Islamists are first to help," 11 June 2019 However, the message feels ham-fisted, gimmicky, and flat. — Kendra James, Harper's BAZAAR, "Captain Marvel Can't Get By on Girl Power Alone," 9 Mar. 2019 Martínez swung and got jammed, fisting a weak ground ball to first base, ending the game and leaving him with nothing besides the handle of his bat. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, "Mariano Rivera Elected Unanimously to Baseball Hall of Fame," 22 Jan. 2019 Another Chance for Brazil, but No Score Neymar dribbles it up, launches it into the area, but Navas fists it away. — Matthew Futterman And Victor Mather, New York Times, "Brazil Gets Its First Win, a Triumph of Grit More Than Style," 23 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for fist

fist

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fist

: the hand with its fingers bent down into the palm

See the full definition for fist in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fist

noun

\ ˈfist

\

Kids Definition of fist

: the hand with the fingers bent tight into the palm

fist

noun

\ ˈfist

\

Medical Definition of fist

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

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WORD OF THE DAY

wangle

to make or get by devious means

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