fist

1 of 2

noun

1
: the hand clenched with the fingers doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers
2
: the hand closed as in grasping : clutch
3

fist

2 of 2

verb

fisted; fisting; fists

transitive verb

1
: to grip with the fist : handle
2
: to clench into a fist

Examples of fist in a Sentence

Noun He pounded his fist on the table in anger. She pounded on the door with both fists. He defiantly shook his fist at the policeman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The deputy responded by hitting the person twice with their fist, body camera footage showed. Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 Bailey was still unable to make a fist Wednesday morning, according to Melvin, but the swelling and discoloration had subsided. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Gottlieb made the final cuts, twirling the white nylon above her head before clenching her fist. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The elder player grits his teeth and pumps his fist in frustration, realizing defeat lies ahead. Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Hal chases after me on his bike, one leg dangling off of it, as if his ankle is pumping a fist in the air in the same way his arm is. Devin Kelly, Longreads, 7 Mar. 2024 With American aid caught in the fist of the House Freedom Caucus, the E.U. and its 27 members have pledged an additional $50 billion to Ukraine, bringing European support to $150 billion since Russia first invaded two years ago. Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 According to a press release obtained by PEOPLE, there will be nine episodes in total with the fist two debuting on May 2, followed by two new episodes premiering each week culminating in the season finale on May 30. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Gazing out over the river, Trump raised his fist and waved and shouted to people on the Mexico side, who waved back. Seung Min Kim, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
But hockey fights almost always involve mutual, bone-crushing blows, fists jackhammering from powerful shoulders, sometimes fracturing bones, tearing tissue and rattling brains. David Waldstein, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023 Move fists one inch forward while keeping back straight and not leaning torso forward or folding and waist. Women's Health, 18 Aug. 2023 How to: Start in a boxer's stance with left leg forward and right leg back, knees bent, fists protecting face. Punch the left arm out and pull fist quickly back to face. Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 9 Aug. 2023 At 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Floyd once pleaded with Chauvin to get off his neck and cried out for his mother, a metal Black Lives Matter fist the height of a streetlamp has been erected in the intersection, which is outlined by a flower garden. Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2021 Then, once on the court, players are outlawed from high-fives, relegated instead to fist or elbow bumps. Scott Kushner, NOLA.com, 13 Jan. 2021 Players must limit interactions to fist and elbow bumps. Rod Walker, NOLA.com, 12 Jan. 2021 The government’s economic stimulus measures have been similarly ham-fisted. The Economist, 23 May 2020 Not even if your girlfriend is getting fisted on the regular or impaled by a dozen swarthy men brandishing wine bottles. Anna Pulley, chicagotribune.com, 14 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English fȳst; akin to Old High German fūst fist, Polish pięść, and probably to Old English fīf five

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fist was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fist

Cite this Entry

“Fist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fist. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fist

noun
ˈfist
1
: the hand clenched with fingers doubled into the palm
2

Medical Definition

fist

noun
: the hand clenched with the fingers doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers

More from Merriam-Webster on fist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!