A fighter is someone who battles for something, whether in physical combat or through determination and effort. In its most literal sense, a fighter engages in combat: a boxer is a fighter, soldiers are fighters, and martial artists train to become skilled fighters. A fighter jet is a military aircraft built for aerial combat.

But fighter also describes someone who refuses to give up when facing difficulty. A student struggling with math who keeps practicing every night is a fighter. Someone recovering from a serious illness who works hard through painful therapy is a fighter. When people call someone a fighter, they're recognizing that person's courage and persistence in the face of challenges.

The opposite of a fighter can be someone who quits easily when things get hard. A fighter keeps pushing forward. You might hear someone say “she's a real fighter” about a teammate who never stops trying, even when their team is losing badly. In sports, commentators often praise athletes as fighters when they battle back from being behind.

Being called a fighter is almost always a compliment, because it means you don't give up. The word captures the willingness to keep going when things are difficult.