combat and fight share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. combat means “an engagement fought between two military forces”. fight means “a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war”. fight is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkɑmbæt/
1.n.an engagement fought between two military forces
2.n.the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
“a fight broke out at the hockey game”
3.v.battle or contend against in or as if in a battle
“The Kurds are combating Iraqi troops in Northern Iraq”
/ˈfaɪt/
1.n.a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
“Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga”
2.n.the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
“a fight broke out at the hockey game”
3.n.an aggressive willingness to compete
“the team was full of fight”
| combat | fight | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑmbæt/ | /ˈfaɪt/ |
| Said | KAHM-bat | fahyt |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 3 | 9 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | armed combat | battle, conflict, engagement |
Full entry for combat · Full entry for fight · More comparisons