# fight off

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fight-off
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to repel an attack

phrasal verb · CEFR B2

to defend yourself against a physical attack or a challenge so that you are not defeated.

For teachers: to repel an aggressor or defeat a challenge through physical or strategic resistance.

- The small army managed to fight off the invaders for three days.
- The security team successfully fought off the cyberattack, though the hackers managed to briefly disrupt the main server.

Usage: This is a transitive phrasal verb; the object can sit between 'fight' and 'off'.

### 2. to resist illness

phrasal verb · CEFR B2

to try to stay healthy when you feel like you are getting sick.

For teachers: to resist the onset or progression of a pathogen or infection through the body's natural immune response.

- I am drinking plenty of orange juice to help fight off this cold.
- The patient's immune system was too weakened by the previous treatment to effectively fight off the secondary infection.

Usage: Commonly used with objects like 'cold', 'flu', 'infection', or 'virus'.

### 3. to suppress a feeling

phrasal verb · CEFR B2

to try hard not to show or feel a strong emotion, like sleepiness or tears.

For teachers: to consciously resist or suppress an internal physiological or emotional state.

- She tried to fight off sleep during the long, boring meeting.
- He struggled to fight off a rising sense of panic as he realised he had lost his passport in the crowded terminal.

Usage: Often used with 'tears', 'sleep', 'panic', or 'boredom'.

## Examples

- 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.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: highlight the metaphorical extension from physical combat to biological resistance; it is more active and effortful than simply 'recovering' from a cold.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.