The act or process of contending; violence or conflict.
"The neighborhood has been plagued by fighting ever since the new club opened downtown."
In plain English: Fighting is an argument where people argue angrily and often try to hurt each other physically.
"The two groups stopped their fighting and decided to talk instead."
Usage: Use "fighting" as a gerund to describe the ongoing action of arguing or battling, such as in "there was too much fighting at the party." Do not use it as a standard noun representing a single event; instead, refer to that specific incident simply as "a fight."
present participle of fight
"The dog was fighting over the last piece of pizza when I walked into the kitchen."
In plain English: To fight means to physically attack someone or argue with them angrily.
"The two cats started fighting over the last piece of fish on the plate."
Usage: Use fighting to describe someone who is actively engaging in a physical struggle or arguing aggressively. Avoid using it to mean merely intending to compete, as that requires the base form fight.
engaged in or ready for military or naval operations
"on active duty"
"the platoon is combat-ready"
"review the fighting forces"
Engaged in war or other conflict.
"The village has been fighting for weeks against the invading army."
In plain English: Fighting means being angry, aggressive, and ready to argue or cause trouble with someone else.
"The fighting crowd pushed past the police to get inside."
Usage: Use fighting only to describe something actively engaged in combat or a violent struggle, such as a fighting chance that implies intense competition rather than literal warfare. Avoid using it simply to mean "struggling" or "difficult," as those contexts usually require words like trying hard or challenging.
The word fighting comes from the Middle English verb for "to struggle or contend." It entered modern usage as a standard form describing active conflict rather than just the act of combing hair, which was an original sense in its ancient Germanic roots.