fightingfight‧ing /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ ●●○ noun [uncountable] 
heavy fighting between government and rebel forces Fighting broke out in the crowds.► see thesaurus at war
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Fighting between rival gangs resulted in the death of a teenage boy.
- Fighting broke out between English and Dutch football fans after the game.
- Some 15,000 people have fled the city, following renewed fighting.
- The streets of the capital are now quiet again, after three weeks of heavy fighting.
- The UN had failed to stop the fighting in Rwanda.
- There was fighting on the streets of Paris yesterday when police and demonstrators clashed.
- End of a school Many teachers were displaced in the fighting.
- His war had been worth fighting, much as she regretted the admission.
- In Maydan Shar on Aug. 17, 100 Kabul militiamen were reportedly killed in heavy fighting with mujaheddin forces.
- On Feb. 19, Aoun and Geaga agreed a six-point pact to end the fighting.
- The match was marred by first-half fighting and 15 penalties against the Lions in the second half.
- These were set in motion once fighting began and were kept in effect despite falls in prices.
- They are quarrelsome, politically unstable and poor; some are preoccupied with fighting.
- They include captive monsters goaded into fighting and monsters which have been magically bound by spells of obedience.
THESAURUS
noun [countable, uncountable] a situation in which there is fighting between countries or opposing groups within a country, with large numbers of soldiers and weapons: · He fought in World War II.· the horrors of war
noun [countable, uncountable] a situation in which there is fighting or a war – used especially in news reports: · the conflict in the Middle East· There is increasing danger of armed conflict.
noun [uncountable] a situation in which people or groups fight each other and try to kill each other: · The fighting went on for months.· Fighting in the north has resulted in hundreds of deaths.
noun [plural] formal fighting in a war: · The agreement called on the guerrillas to cease hostilities (=stop fighting) and begin peace talks.
noun [uncountable] the activity of fighting in a war – used especially to talk about a method of fighting: · new and more advanced methods of warfare· chemical warfare
noun [countable, uncountable] an occasion when two armies, groups of ships etc fight each other in one place during a war: · the great naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars· the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805· He died in battle.
noun [countable] a short fight between small groups of soldiers, ships etc, especially one that happens away from the main part of a war or battle: · There were minor skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops across the border.
noun [uncountable] the act of fighting, especially during a war: · Few of them had any experience of combat.· hand-to-hand combat
noun [uncountable] military actions carried out by the army, navy etc of a country during a war – used especially in the following phrases: · He was killed in action in 1944.· Her son went missing in action.· Her grandfather saw action (=fought) in two world wars.
Longman Language Activatora fight involving a large number of people when a lot of people fight each other in a public place: · There was fighting on the streets of Paris yesterday when police and demonstrators clashed.fighting between: · Fighting between rival gangs resulted in the death of a teenage boy.fighting breaks out (=starts): · Fighting broke out between English and Dutch football fans after the game.
an uncontrolled violent fight in a public place that involves a large number of people and usually damage to property, cars etc, especially among people who are protesting about something: · There were riots in several cities after it was announced that the price of bread would rise by 200%.· Four days of unrest and anti-government riots left at least three people dead.a riot breaks out (=starts): · A riot broke out after a police shooting of a local man.
a fight between two large groups of people: · He was killed in a street battle in 1998.battle between: · a battle between rival gangspitched battle (=a very violent fight): · About 200 students fought pitched battles with police during the demonstrations.
a short fight between two groups of people who have opposing opinions or aims: · The clashes came as farmers blockaded roads.clash between: · There were clashes last night between local residents and young people attending the rock festival.
a situation in which there is a lot of angry disagreement between two groups, which may develop into a fight: · The police were obviously anticipating a confrontation, as they were heavily armed.
a fight that a lot of people in a crowd join, especially when they have no particular reason to be fighting each other: · After Mathews was attacked, a free-for-all broke out in the audience.
fighting between countries or armies a long period of fighting, when the armies, ships, and planes of two or more countries fight against each other: · the Vietnam War· When the war ended in 1945, Europe was in chaos.win/lose a war: · Who won the Franco-Prussian War?civil war (=war between groups of people from the same country): · More Americans died in the Civil War than in World War II.war against/with: · Iran's seven-year war with Iraqwar breaks out (=war begins): · In 1874, war broke out in Europe again.the outbreak of war (=the time when a war begins): · In the months leading up to the outbreak of war, both countries were involved in a massive arms build-up.war hero: · a war hero and former fighter pilotwar veteran (=a former soldier who fought in a war): · War veterans claim that they were exposed to chemical weapons while fighting in the Gulf.
a situation in which two countries or groups are fighting against each other - used especially in news reports: · the conflict in the Middle East· Can this peace settlement bring an end to years of conflict?· The conflict began early in December 1994.
an organized attempt to change or destroy the government by fighting against it: · The rebellion spread quickly through the Western Provinces.rebellion against: · an armed rebellion against the governmentcrush/put down a rebellion (=use force to stop it): · The army was brought in to crush the rebellion.
when soldiers fight against each other during a war or battle: · The UN had failed to stop the fighting in Rwanda.heavy/fierce fighting (=a lot of fighting when many people are hurt): · The streets of the capital are now quiet again, after three weeks of heavy fighting.renewed fighting (=fighting that starts again after it had stopped): · Some 15,000 people have fled the city, following renewed fighting.
the activity of fighting in a war - use this especially to talk about the methods of fighting that are used in war: · the history of modern warfarenuclear/chemical warfare (=fighting with nuclear bombs or poison gas): · a secret underground chemical warfare plant· Many people believe that what happened in 1940 was a British chemical warfare experiment that went wrong.guerrilla warfare (=when small unofficial military groups fight against the government): · The rebels aimed to overthrow the government through protracted guerrilla warfare.
written when two armies or opposing groups are fighting: · Land mines maim and kill innocent people, long after hostilities have ceased. · Mexican forces were ordered to avoid all hostilities with the American troops.end hostilities: · The two sides reach an agreement to end hostilities.the start/outbreak of hostilities: · The Japanese navy scored a success only two days after the start of hostilities, by sinking two British battleships.
a fight in one area between two armies, or two groups of ships or planes: · a naval battle in the North Seabattle of: · the Battle of the Sommewin/lose a battle: · The French lost the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.die/be wounded/be killed in battle: · King Olaf died in battle, in 1030.lead/send somebody into battle: · Lyndon Johnson first sent U.S. combat troops into battle in March 1965.
a short, unplanned, and usually not very important fight between two small groups of soldiers: · Last night skirmishes were reported along the border.· Government soldiers ran into a group of rebels, and a skirmish followed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY heavy fighting between government and rebel forces Fighting broke out in the crowds.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES There was fierce hand-to-hand fighting in the streets of the city. They were defeated in hand-to-hand combat. Heavy fighting was reported near the border.
when people or groups fight each other in a war, in the street etcfighting between heavy fighting between government and rebel forces Fighting broke out in the crowds. (=a small but real chance)· The Republican Party has a fighting chance at the next election.
British English (=very fit) I had just come back from holiday and was fighting fit.
I had just come back from holiday and was fighting fit. There was fierce hand-to-hand fighting in the streets of the city. They were defeated in hand-to-hand combat. Heavy fighting was reported near the border. (=be so ill or injured that you might die)· One badly burned man was fighting for his life in hospital.
· There is no indication that the violence is likely to spread.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Most of the city was aflame, and bitter fighting had taken over the downtown suburbs.· Most of the refugees had come from the Kurgan-Tyube region, the scene of bitter fighting between pro- and anti- government forces.· The war was all but over, although bitter fighting was to rumble on in the islands for many decades.
· He said fierce fighting was taking place near Bahdu and insisted I would need at least a hundred soldiers if I went there.· Fighting in Kabul Fierce fighting between various groups raged in Kabul on Dec. 6-10.· On the following day there was fierce fighting at the television station and the building was partially destroyed by fire.· There was fierce hand-to-hand fighting and the area was coming under heavy tank and artillery shelling.
· Tass still reported heavy fighting around Bagram on March 8.· But the storm was over; and on land it was on this day that heavy fighting started at Thermopylai.· In the countryside where up to 1,000 people die of starvation a day, heavy fighting between rival clans was reported.· On Dec. 20 government forces took Karfarnihan after three days of heavy fighting.· The Soviet War continues. Heavy fighting in the Caucasus despite bad weather conditions.· In Maydan Shar on Aug. 17, 100 Kabul militiamen were reportedly killed in heavy fighting with mujaheddin forces.· Down below me there was heavy fighting and I felt very sad.· Casualty figures are low, indicating that neither side is prepared to engage in heavy fighting.
· At this stage aggression is still highly ritualised, but if one animal fails to submit then serious fighting can occur.· On the following day there were further protests but a heavy police presence prevented renewed outbreaks of serious fighting.· A ceasefire came into operation in May and all serious fighting stopped.· In the spring of A.D. 66, serious fighting broke out in Caesarea.
NOUN· The tugs were built primarily for service at the Braefoot Bay Terminal and are fully fitted for fire fighting and pollution control.· Most countries have a paid, professional fire brigade who are expert in fire fighting.
VERB· Indeed, while the parties are anxious to continue with the fighting such steps are unlikely to lead to peace.
· Some 17 people had been killed in the fighting.· At least 1,200 people have been killed in recent fighting.· The Emperor Sigismund is killed in the fighting.· By the end of November an estimated 1,000 civilians had been killed in the latest fighting and up to 6,000 injured.
· It followed a week in which more than 120 people were reported killed in township fighting.
· I have already stated my view of the best way to stop the fighting.· Those Yugoslav republics which want independence will get it, but recognition now would not stop the fighting.· Lord Owen said the two had agreed to stop or limit the fighting.· Macaulay, 12, star of the blockbuster Home Alone movies, would play a nine-year-old whose parents never stop fighting.· Swiftly they drove south and were stopped only after desperate fighting round the Griffon Gate.· But they establish the framework within which peace could be created if the parties wished to stop the fighting.
heavy fighting between government and rebel forces Fighting broke out in the crowds.► see thesaurus at war