fist

1 of 2

noun

ˈfist 

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

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

Noun

It will be positioned 5 degrees (half a fist) above Mercury. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Manchester City and Liverpool flex attacking talent Manchester City, meanwhile, have made a decent fist of addressing their shortcomings. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025

The menorah’s brilliant emerald-green color dazzled him, as did its form: The candles rested atop a base shaped like a fist — the symbol of Lehi, a Zionist paramilitary group from Israel’s pre-state years. —Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025

Returning to cinema with another joint, auteur Spike Lee packages a rock-hard fist of fury with a heroic musical soundtrack. —Malik Peay, Essence, 13 Aug. 2025

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

Phrases Containing fist

• fist bump
• fist pump
• hand over fist
• mailed fist
• make a good fist of
• make a poor fist of
• rule with an iron fist/hand

Rhymes for fist

• cist
• cyst
• gist
• grist
• hissed
• kissed
• kist
• list
• missed
• mist
• schist
• tryst

Kids Definition

fist

noun

ˈfist

1

: the hand clenched with fingers doubled into the palm

2

: index entry 1 sense 4

Medical Definition

fist

noun

ˈfist 

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