English → Latin
“fight” in Latin
pugnōto fight, combat, battle, engage; to contend, conflict, oppose, contradict; to endeavour, struggle, strivedēcernōto decide, decide upon, settle, determine (especially something disputed or doubtful); to pronounce a decision concernindīmicōto fight, battle or attackdīgladiorto fight for life and death, contend fiercely; to dispute vigorouslyproeliorto fight (in battle)cōnflīctōto assail, harass, distress or torment; to buffetdēpugnōTo fight, contend or combat hard; To battledēcertōto fight (to the finish); to contend, dispute or arguecontendōto hurry; to stretch, draw tight, make taut, strain; to place together in comparison, compare, contrastcertōto match, vie with, emulate; to fight, wrestle; to contend, compete, race
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
fight
pugnare (denotes a formal intentional battle, and that on its fairest side, as requiring skill and courage): eonfligere (with or without armis, manu, proelio, denotes any engagement, often in consequence of an accidental collision; and on its rough side, as causing slaughter and carnage; confligere cum aliquo or inter se): decernere (mostly with armis, ferro, proelio, acie; to fight with the view of settling a quarrel): dimicare (especially with reference to a speedy determination, and to what one risks, what is at stake; mostly therefore in a good sense; dimicare pro legibus, patria, libertate; and IMPROP., what is at stake being expressed by de; dimicare de capite, fama, civitate, gloria, etc.; also with proelio, acie): digladiari (to fight with sword or poniard, like a practised gladiator or assassin: to fight with each other, digladiari inter se): proeliari (Döderlein makes proelium the occasional engagement of particular divisions of the army; but it would rather seem to refer to the military movements, positions, etc., of an engagement; also, IMPROP., with words): conflictari, with anybody, cum aliquo (e.g., cum adversa fortuna, Nep.): depugnare: decertare (= pugnare, certare, with the added notion of perseverance till one party is defeated; depugnare also of gladiators; used also IMPROP., cum fame): arma ferre in or contra aliquem (to take up arms against him): contendere: certare: concertare: decertare (with reference to the contest, armis, proelio, acie): proelium or pugnam facere or edere (to fight a battle): luctari (as a wrestler; also, cum fluctibus): pugilare (to box). To fight a battle, proelium or pugnam facere or edere: proeliari (general term); proelio decertare, or decernere, or dimicare: to fight for anything (e.g., for one’s country, etc.), pugnare, dimicare, decernere pro re; with a sword, ferro decernere: to fight a duel, ex provocatione dimicare: to fight anybody, manu eonfligere cum aliquo: to fight with fists, heels, teeth, etc., pugnis contendere; pugnis, calcibus, morsu certare: to fight about anything, pugnare, certare, contendere, dimicare, de re: he challenged their king to fight a duel with him, sibi regem eorum privatum hostem deposcit (Justinus, 12, 8, 3): to fight against an opinion, sententiam impugnare: to fight against anybody, pugnare in hostem (Liv.), adversus multitudinem (Sall.): to fight a battle with anybody, pugnam committere cum aliquo. To fight one’s way through the very midst of the enemy, per medios or per mediam hostium aciein perrumpere: to fight one’s way to anybody, ad aliquem erumpere: to fight one’s way through a crowd, penetrare per densam turbam: to fight it out, armis disceptare de re.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for fight?
- The usual Latin words for “fight” are pugnō, dēcernō, dīmicō; also dīgladior, proelior, cōnflīctō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.