Outfighting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The action of competing or engaging in combat with superior skill or strategy in a fight or conflict
2. Successfully overcoming an opponent through better tactics or resilience in a battle situation
3. The process of besting an adversary by demonstrating greater physical or mental prowess during a confrontation

Etymology: "Outfighting" is the present participle and gerund of "outfight," a verb built from "out" and "fight." The "out" element is the Old English "ūt," meaning "outside" or "beyond," which English has used as a prefix since its earliest days. Combined with "fight," it means to get the better of an opponent in combat, and the verb follows the common pattern of "out-" compounds, such as "outrun" or "outdo," in which the prefix signals surpassing someone at the action named by the base word. The "fight" element comes from Old English "feohtan," and it is the base word that does most of the work here. Because "out" carries the sense of going beyond, "outfight" describes winning a contest by being the stronger party rather than by any change in the fighting itself. The gerund form, "outfighting," takes that same sense into a noun-like use, naming the act of defeating a rival through superior skill or strength during a confrontation.