Home British & World English battle

Definition of battle in English:

battle

noun

  • 1A sustained fight between large organized armed forces.

    ‘the battle lasted for several hours’
    in names ‘the Battle of Waterloo’
    mass noun ‘he died in battle’
    • ‘Hymns and prayers were said in memory of those who died in battle and those who fought and survived.’
    • ‘He enjoyed wars and was the first prime minister since the duke of Wellington to have fought in battle.’
    • ‘Sovereignty was a figure for all those brave soldiers who fought and died in battle.’
    • ‘He declared that a truly great commander could win his campaigns without fighting any battles.’
    • ‘In a war there are many battles to be fought; which battle would become more important than the rest is not easily known.’
    • ‘In battle, I came to pity enemy prisoners because I had a cause to fight for and they did not.’
    • ‘In battle, it could be wielded as a quarterstaff against swordsmen, or as a pike against cavalry.’
    • ‘They determined the pace of the war - when battles were fought, what nature they assumed, when they were over.’
    • ‘During his time in America, Philip fought in eight major battles and 50 skirmishes.’
    • ‘It is not a war fought with battles, it does not have front lines, nor does it have marches or invasions.’
    • ‘In any successful war, individual battles must be fought with an eye towards the overriding objective.’
    • ‘In 1916, tanks were first used in battle as the Battle of the Somme began in France.’
    • ‘Rarely do we see accounts of how housewives struggled at home while the men of valor fought the battles and won the wars.’
    • ‘Five major battles were fought around the town of Arras during World War One.’
    • ‘A series of four battles were fought during the Italian campaign as the Allies tried to advance on Rome.’
    • ‘He was a Navy lieutenant who fought in real battles.’
    • ‘And who wants to fight 50 battles if you can prevail everywhere by winning just one?’
    • ‘Of the many battles in which he fought, the one we associate him with most is the Siege of Limerick, and then the treaty of Limerick.’
    • ‘Their fleets of ships fought and won battles from the coasts of Kerry to Mizen's wild foreland, to the Mull of Kintyre.’
    • ‘In 1066, the Anglo-Saxons fought three battles against foreign invaders.’
    fight, conflict, armed conflict, clash, struggle, skirmish, engagement, dogfight, affray, fray, encounter, confrontation
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1A lengthy and difficult conflict or struggle.
      ‘the battle against ageing’
      • ‘The pair had been embroiled in lengthy legal battles over Daniel, but had reached a shared custody agreement on his care before Kevin's death.’
      • ‘One of the most difficult battles waged by these women has been against Public Works Department contractors.’
      • ‘Allison and Kevin had, following lengthy legal battles, reached a shared custody agreement on Daniel's care.’
      • ‘And the high profile court battles have shown how difficult it is to get medical experts to agree on how to interpret the facts of a case.’
      • ‘After lengthy court battles and broken promises, the residents plight continued to fall on deaf ears.’
      • ‘Wolf, that's why we have a court set up to handle these very difficult custody battles.’
      • ‘This determination to achieve something extra began with a lengthy battle to regain the use of her partial limb.’
      • ‘In each case, a certain peace had to have been made with the family or difficult, draining battles followed.’
      • ‘Even if the case never makes it to court, some companies pay up just to avoid bad press and lengthy legal battles.’
      • ‘The most difficult battles were over divorce and the legalization of abortion.’
      • ‘Cougars face an uphill battle as they struggle to rebuild confidence for Sunday's clash with Leigh.’
      • ‘It is almost certain now that the dispute will end up in a lengthy and expensive court battle.’
      • ‘Mr Rhodes said the conclusion of the deal yesterday brought to an end a long and difficult battle to keep the club going.’
      • ‘The pair did try and pursue the matter through the courts but could not afford a lengthy legal battle.’
      • ‘It also foreshadows future battles over infrastructure for the site, such as roads, sewerage and water.’
      • ‘Advisers say the panel has taken longer than normal to reach a decision because the process is likely to set a precedent for future battles.’
      • ‘This is a battle about the future, about the shape of Labour's third term.’
      • ‘The battle over small abattoirs is therefore also a battle for the future of agriculture.’
      • ‘You can expect financial gain and personal glory as you achieve difficult goals and stand up to stiff competition to win your battles.’
      • ‘Two years later, he is still engaged in a legal battle to fight deportation and be allowed to stay here with his wife.’
      conflict, clash, contest, competition, struggle
      View synonyms

verb

[no object]

  • 1Struggle tenaciously to achieve or resist something.

    ‘he has been battling against the illness’
    • ‘Players on both sides are unknowingly battling for cross hemisphere respect from people they will never meet.’
    • ‘As it stands, national lobby groups are battling against the ad budgets of brand name giants.’
    • ‘Furious residents are battling for the second time to stop huge mobile phone masts going up in Corsham town centre.’
    • ‘We need to keep the volumes up as the margins have been falling and we are constantly battling against obsolescence.’
    • ‘A tsunami survivor is battling against ill-health to sit her exams next term.’
    • ‘A youth worker has today spoken of how he helped save a teenager who is battling for life after being engulfed in flames.’
    • ‘A Bradford motorist was today battling for his life after a head-on car smash.’
    • ‘They are still battling against the world's best team, and doing it on foreign soil.’
    • ‘TEN weeks into the season and two sides are battling for the right to be named last unbeaten team in the league.’
    • ‘The once supreme Nine Network is battling for the sort of ratings it once took for granted.’
    • ‘When you are battling against them, you forget how much they love the game.’
    • ‘The company is battling against slow growth in many of its core businesses.’
    • ‘The decision was a blow to Bradford pensioners who had been battling for free bus travel in the district.’
    • ‘We have been battling for years with very little resources to get something done.’
    • ‘Murphy, in his own way, has battled on to flourish in a harsh sports environment.’
    • ‘Rebecca Harrison was taken ill mid-way through the race but battled on to finish 40th.’
    • ‘Despite this the pair battled on and the calendar was successfully published.’
    • ‘Some fishing is still permitted around the islands, but divers and naturalists are battling for a total ban.’
    • ‘Most of the time during the past decade the England cricket team has been battling for survival.’
    • ‘The sector is battling against cheaper imports because of the strength of the euro.’
    fight, combat, contend with
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1with object Engage in a fight or struggle against.
      ‘firefighters battled a 9,800-acre brush fire’
      • ‘Firefighters battled a blaze at the disused Robert Fletcher paper mill in Stoneclough last night.’
      • ‘Elsewhere, firefighters battled flash floods caused by the torrential rain.’
      • ‘The building was evacuated, and firefighters battled the fire for more than an hour.’
      • ‘Firefighters battled the blaze for more than seven hours before it was finally brought under control.’
      • ‘The wind had swept in making it harder for the firefighters to battle the blaze.’
      • ‘York dialysis patient Mandy Coles will be battling the bulge this festive season, like the rest of the nation.’
      • ‘Residents are battling a supermarket's plans to build a pedestrian crossing in their scenic village.’
      • ‘But the under-fire Burnley keeper insists he is not battling a crisis of confidence.’
      • ‘Even before Tuesday's events, airlines were battling one of the toughest years in recent history.’
      • ‘He has been battling the disease, and receiving chemotherapy and other treatment, ever since.’
      • ‘A heroic elderly couple are battling the odds again - this time to get their guttering fixed.’
      • ‘A young man who is battling cancer is appealing to Bradford's Asian community to help save his life.’
      • ‘I've spent years battling my worst impulses, trying to keep them under control.’
      • ‘He has gone from a club playing UEFA Cup football next year to a club that will be battling relegation.’
      • ‘The friends of a teenager who is battling cancer for the second time plan to send him on a holiday to Euro Disney.’
      • ‘He was reported to be battling depression, and had gone through a painful and costly divorce.’
      • ‘However, the Trust is battling a big rise in patients being sent to hospital by family doctors.’
      • ‘He had been battling cancer of the oesophagus and died at his home in Wiltshire.’
      • ‘He already battles multiple sclerosis, and he wears braces on his legs.’
      • ‘In this quest, she battles loneliness, fear and the oppression of perfection, but always with a light touch.’
      scramble, struggle, labour
      View synonyms

Phrases

    battle royal

    • A fiercely contested fight or dispute.

      ‘there promises to be a battle royal between the two companies’
      • ‘The wisdom of those remarks is demonstrated by the revelation that these parties have spent £50,000 on this litigation so far and they still have a battle royal to fight over damages for misrepresentation.’
      • ‘And so, given the budget deficits ahead, the battle royal will be fought over what remains of federal social spending.’
      • ‘Del Toro brings a solid visual eye to the project, but his fight scenes are overlong and too close to a WWF battle royal than superhuman opponents squaring off.’
      • ‘We all know now that London triumphed, but from the moment the 2004 Games ended in Athens there was a battle royal with the other four cities in contention - Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow.’
      • ‘What is emerging is a battle royal between companies and politicians out to create a single European market in electricity and those fighting to defend narrow national interests.’
      • ‘Still, the financial services industry is girding itself for a battle royal.’
      • ‘The coach believes the match will be a battle royal, inspired by a clash of styles.’
      • ‘Consequently, there will now be a battle royal (of which this article is part) about the rights and wrongs of these particular tactics, and the bigger picture will inevitably be lost.’
      • ‘But Killererin won't go down without a battle royal.’
      • ‘Take advantage of the ice, snow and cold of January by ice skating, sledding, skiing, building a snow family or staging a snowball battle royal.’
    battle it out

    • Fight or compete to a definite conclusion.

      ‘bike riders from all over the country battled it out’
      • ‘The sheepdog won round one of Thursday's competition before battling it out in the final with 30 other dogs in the mixed breed category.’
      • ‘The first event on the list is the mixed draughts competitions with Hacketstown battling it out in two sections.’
      • ‘Shooting teams from all over Europe battled it out in an exciting competition three weeks ago in Bywell, Scotland.’
      • ‘West and Wilson will definitely battle it out again for best new artist category.’
      • ‘This means that the competitors will have to battle it out over four special stages run twice.’
      • ‘A decade ago there were no Bentleys, nor many of the other makes of cars that now battle it out in a fiercely competitive market.’
      • ‘Innovation was the name of the game, as schoolchildren from across Yorkshire battled it out in a special inventors' competition.’
      • ‘Ten schools participated in the competition and teams of four to five youngsters battled it out in heats to get the chance to perform at the Arts Centre.’
      • ‘Despite very wet conditions Colm battled it out and had a very competitive win.’
      • ‘For the first time the winners will be put forward to battle it out in the Anglia in Bloom competition on July 22.’
    do battle

    • Enter into a conflict.

      ‘I was ready and eager to do battle’
      ‘they are about to do battle with Canada's retail food industry’
    battle stations
    US

    • The positions taken by military personnel in preparation for battle (often used as a command or signal to prepare for battle).

      • ‘Now a deafening siren comes on and a speaker blares ‘Battle stations, all personnel to battle stations.’’
      • ‘Because their mission is yet to be determined, the crewmembers are training on everything from force protection to battle stations and rules of engagement.’
      • ‘They only test how efficient specialists are at their battle stations as part of teams or crews.’
      • ‘Archer was just arriving on the bridge to greet his new commander when the battle stations alarm sounded.’
      • ‘My questions focused on whether there was any attempt to go to battle stations, to have the director of FBI meet with the president, meet with the director of CIA, meet with the attorney general.’
      • ‘Here, they learned about the enemy, studied flight behavior records, in video form, that had been sent from the front line of the battle, from the leading battle stations.’
      • ‘The group spilled out of the training room, instinctively moving in different directions toward their battle stations.’
      • ‘The soldiers filed out to their battle stations as Jack made his way to the General.’
      • ‘Get back up to the bridge and have the officer of the deck go to battle stations.’
      • ‘After his brief glance around the bridge, Dozle picked up the ship's intercom transmitter and yelled ‘All hands to battle stations.’’
    half the battle

    • An important step towards achieving something.

      ‘he never gives in, and that's half the battle’
      • ‘Curiosity is the first step towards knowledge, and knowing is half the battle.’
      • ‘If a good start is half the battle then two good starts will surely win most battles.’
      • ‘I knew that was only half the battle - exercise was going to be an important component to my weight loss.’
      • ‘But let's take it a step further and say that recruiting and training is only half the battle.’
      • ‘Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight and body is half the battle at this stage.’
      • ‘If they approve of you, you've won half the battle.’
      • ‘However, all these matter are only half the battle.’
      • ‘Winning self-government is only half the battle; for thereafter you have to start governing yourselves and this is a lot more difficult than it sounds.’
      • ‘If you've ever had the displeasure of tangling with your landlord at the rental board, you know getting yourself down there is half the battle.’
      • ‘But they admit that being a good rider is only half the battle.’

Origin

Middle English from Old French bataille (noun), bataillier (verb), based on late Latin battualia ‘military or gladiatorial exercises’, from Latin battuere ‘to beat’.

Pronunciation

battle

/ˈbat(ə)l/