fight off

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˈfaɪt ɒf/
US: /ˈfaɪt ɔːf/

  1. To defend yourself or someone else against an attack or something unpleasant.

    1. He managed to fight off the attacker.
    2. The body's immune system has to fight off infection constantly to keep us healthy.

  2. To resist something negative or unwanted, such as sleep or an illness.

    1. I'm trying to fight off a cold.
    2. She had to fight off the urge to laugh at his ridiculous hat, because it was a serious event.

Synonyms

ward off resist fend off defend repel
fight off noun

  1. An act of defending oneself from attack.

    1. The fight off was brave.
    2. Their fight off of the invaders lasted for hours, but they couldn't hold them back.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "fight off" in English means: To defend yourself or someone else against an attack or something unpleasant., To resist something negative or unwanted, such as sleep or an illness..

The phonetic transcription of "fight off" is /ˈfaɪt ɒf/ in British English and /ˈfaɪt ɔːf/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "fight off": ward off, resist, fend off, defend, repel.

Example usage of "fight off": "He managed to fight off the attacker.". More examples on the page.