What's the past tense of "fight"?

The past tense of fight is fought. The past participle is also fought. Fight is an irregular verb, meaning it doesn't follow the regular -ed pattern for past forms.

Definition of fight

The Oxford English Dictionary defines fight as "to take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons" or "to struggle to overcome, eliminate, or prevent something." It can also mean to engage in a contest or battle.

The past tense of fight is fought.
The past participle of fight is fought.

Verb forms of 'fight'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they fight • He/she/it fights

Past

I/you/they fought • He/she/it fought

Future

I/you/they will fight • He/she/it will fight

Present

I am/you are fighting • He/she/it is fighting

Past

I was/you were fighting • He/she/it was fighting

Future

I/you will be fighting • He/she/it will be fighting

Present

I/you have fought • He/she/it has fought

Past

I/you had fought • He/she/it had fought

Future

I/you will have fought • He/she/it will have fought

Present

I have been fighting • He/she/it has been fighting

Past

I had been fighting • He/she/it had been fighting

Future

I will have been fighting • He/she/it will have been fighting

When to use "fought"

I fought bravely in the tournament.

She has fought for justice her entire career.

The verb fight uses the same form fought for both simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so fought can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Is "fight" a regular or irregular verb?

Answer: Fight is an irregular verb— its past conjugations are fought in all cases.

Note: Regular verbs end in -ed in the past tense. Any other verb ending is considered irregular.

Fight follows a pattern common to several other irregular verbs where the past tense and past participle are identical. These verbs typically involve a vowel change from the present form.

fight

Past: fought

Past part: fought

Sentence examples: fight, fought, fought

Fight (present tense)

• fight for what I believe in.

• She fights against injustice every day.

• They fight to protect their community.

Fought (past simple)

• He fought in the war for three years.

• We fought hard to win the championship.

• She fought against the new policy.

Fought (present or past perfect)

• I've fought for this cause my entire life.

• They have fought against discrimination for decades.

• She'd fought the disease for years before recovering.

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for fight

battle struggle combat conflict resist oppose contest wrestle

Nearby phrases

fight back fight off fight for fight against pick a fight

Common phrases with "fight"

fight tooth and nail

To fight with extreme determination and effort.

fight fire with fire

To respond to an attack or challenge with similar methods or intensity.

fight the good fight

To struggle for a noble or worthy cause.

fight a losing battle

To struggle against something that cannot be won or overcome.

pick a fight

To deliberately provoke or start a conflict or argument.

FAQs

What is the past tense of "fight"?

The past tense of "fight" is "fought."

What is the past participle of "fight"?

The past participle of "fight" is "fought."

Is "fight" a regular or irregular verb?

"Fight" is an irregular verb, which means it doesn't follow the standard -ed pattern for past tense formation.

Is "foughted" correct?

No, "foughted" is not correct. The past tense of "fight" is "fought," not "foughted."

Why is "fight" irregular?

"Fight" is irregular because it changes its vowel sound and spelling to become "fought" instead of following the regular pattern of adding "-ed."

Sources

"Fight, V." Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, March 2025.
Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of fight." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/fight. Accessed 15 October, 2025.