Caleb Foster
To fight tooth and nail is to try with a lot of effort or determination to do something. This idiom dates back to the 1500s and comes from the idea of fighting like a wild beast. Animals don't have weapons, so they fight with everything they've got: their teeth and nails.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Effort | A lot |
| Determination | High |
| Action | Fighting |
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What You'll Learn
Trying with a lot of effort or determination
To fight tooth and nail means to try with a lot of effort or determination to achieve something. The idiom dates back to the 1500s and comes from the idea of fighting like a wild beast. Animals don't have weapons, so they fight with everything they've got: their teeth and nails.
If you fight tooth and nail, you are fighting with all of your fervour, scratching and biting to win. You do everything you can to achieve your goal. For example, you might fight tooth and nail to keep your job or to get your plans accepted.
On the other hand, if you fight something tooth and nail, you are doing everything in your power to prevent it. For instance, unions might fight tooth and nail against compulsory redundancies.
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Doing everything you can to achieve something
To fight tooth and nail means to try with a lot of effort or determination to achieve something. The idiom dates back to the 1500s and comes from the idea of fighting like a wild beast. Animals don't have weapons, so they fight with everything they've got: their teeth and nails.
If you fight tooth and nail to do something, you do everything you can to achieve it. This could mean fighting to keep your job, as in the example: 'He fought tooth and nail to keep his job'. It could also mean fighting to get something accepted, like in the example: 'We fought tooth and nail to get these plans accepted'.
You can also fight tooth and nail to prevent something from happening. For instance, unions might fight tooth and nail against compulsory redundancies. Or, you might fight tooth and nail for someone, as in the example: 'But what I do know is that he's a hero and I'm going to fight tooth and nail for him'.
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Fighting like a wild beast
To fight tooth and nail means to try very hard to get something you want or to prevent something you don't want. The idiom dates back to the 1500s and comes from the idea of fighting like a wild beast. Animals don't have weapons, so they fight with everything they've got: their teeth and nails.
If you fight like a wild beast, you are fighting with all your fervour, scratching and biting to win. You are doing everything you can to achieve your goal. You are relentless and will not give up until you have succeeded. You are willing to do whatever it takes, no matter how difficult or challenging it may be.
When you fight like a wild beast, you are driven by a deep desire to succeed. You are focused and unwavering in your pursuit of victory. You are willing to endure pain and sacrifice to achieve your objective. You become a force to be reckoned with, an unstoppable power that cannot be deterred.
Fighting tooth and nail, or like a wild beast, is about giving your all and never surrendering. It is about harnessing your inner strength and channelling it into achieving your goals, no matter what obstacles stand in your way.
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Trying very hard to get something you want
To fight tooth and nail means to try very hard to get something you want. This idiom dates back to the 1500s and comes from the idea of fighting like a wild beast. Animals don't have weapons, so they fight with everything they've got: their teeth and nails.
If you fight tooth and nail to do something, you do everything you can to achieve it. This could mean fighting to keep your job, as in the example: 'He fought tooth and nail to keep his job'. It could also mean fighting to get your ideas accepted, like in the sentence: 'We fought tooth and nail to get these plans accepted'.
On the other hand, if you fight something tooth and nail, you are doing everything you can to prevent it. For example, 'Unions pledged to fight any compulsory redundancies tooth and nail'.
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Trying very hard to prevent something
To fight tooth and nail means to try very hard to prevent something. The idiom dates back to the 1500s and comes from the idea of fighting like a wild beast. Animals don't have weapons, so they fight with everything they've got: their teeth and nails.
If you fight tooth and nail, you are fighting with all of your fervour, scratching and biting to win. You are doing everything you can to prevent something from happening. For example, unions might pledge to fight any compulsory redundancies tooth and nail.
The idiom can also be used to describe trying very hard to achieve something. For example, someone might fight tooth and nail to keep their job.
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Frequently asked questions
To fight tooth and nail means to try with a lot of effort or determination to do something.
The idiom dates back to the 1500s and comes from the idea of fighting like a wild beast. Animals don't have weapons, so they fight with everything they've got: their teeth and nails.
You can say something like, "I fought tooth and nail to get the job" or "We fought tooth and nail to get the government to admit they were wrong".
You can say "fight with all your might" or "give it your all".
