Irregular verb
The verb to fight
fight → fought → fought
B1Meaning: to use force against someone; to try hard to stop something · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 100 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they fight·he/she/it fights - Past Simple:
fought(said /fɔːt/) - Past participle:
fought(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
fighting
Conjugation of the verb to fight
Present Simple
| I | fight |
| You | fight |
| He / She / It | fights |
| We | fight |
| You (pl.) | fight |
| They | fight |
Past Simple
| I | fought |
| You | fought |
| He / She / It | fought |
| We | fought |
| You (pl.) | fought |
| They | fought |
All the forms of the verb to fight
Present Simple
Full pagefight / fights
“They fight for justice.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are fighting
“I am fighting for the ball right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagefought
“They fought bravely in the war.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were fighting
“I was fighting for the ball when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has fought
“I have already fought for the ball.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad fought
“She had already fought for the ball when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill fight
“I will fight for the ball tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to fight
“I'm going to fight for the ball this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould fight
“I would fight for the ball if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to fight
1. Fighting (with your body or in other ways)
Fight can be physical, or it can mean to try hard to stop something, like an illness.
- The two boys fought in the playground.
- She fights cancer.
2. Fight for / fight against
Fight for something means to try to get it or protect it. Fight against something means to try to stop it.
- They fight for freedom.
- We fight against injustice.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Fight for a calm discussion ❌
Fight = to hit each other, or to argue very strongly. Argue = to disagree with words. For a calm talk, say have a discussion: We had a discussion about the school trip.
2. Fougth ❌
Spell it f-o-u-g-h-t. In fought, the gh is silent and the letters o and u together sound /ɔː/. Fight → fought → fought. It is the same for buy → bought.
What's next?
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Related pages: fight
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of fight?+
The Past Simple of fight is fought. It is the same for every person. The past participle is also fought. Fight → fought → fought.
What is the difference between fight and argue?+
Fight means to hit each other, or to argue very strongly. Argue means to disagree with words, often in an angry way. When there is no hitting, argue is better. For a calm talk, say have a discussion.
Is it fight against or fight for?+
Both exist, with different meanings. Fight against something means to try to stop it: fight against poverty. Fight for something means to try to get it or protect it: fight for justice.
How do you pronounce fought?+
Fought is said /fɔːt/. The gh is silent, like in bought (/bɔːt/), thought (/θɔːt/) and caught (/kɔːt/).
Is it fighted or fought?+
Say fought. Fight is an irregular verb: its Past Simple is fought, never fighted. Learn it with its family: bought, thought, fought, caught.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/fight
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.