fight off
phr. v..phr. v.. to use force or effort to stop someone from attacking you, or to stop an illness from making you sick.
phr. v.. to defend oneself against an attacker or an encroaching physical condition; implies a successful or ongoing resistance against an external threat.
I am drinking orange juice to fight off a cold.
The small shopkeeper managed to fight off the intruders until the police arrived at the scene.
The body's immune system works tirelessly to fight off various pathogens that we encounter in our daily environment.
- Particles
- off
- Separability
- optional
- Pattern
- fight + off + object
commonly used with physical attackers, insects, or biological threats like viruses and infections.
highlight the metaphorical extension from physical combat to biological resistance; it is more active and effortful than simply 'recovering' from a cold.
He fought of the attacker.He fought off the attacker.the particle 'off' requires a double 'f' to indicate distance or removal; 'of' is a preposition with a different function.