Adjective: fit
Comparison Forms
Synthetic
| Comparative | fitter |
| Superlative | fittest |
Perifrastic
Sample Sentences
-
You have nothing to say about it. I'll do exactly as I see fit.
-
Is it fit to say a king, Thou art wicked? [1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 34:18:]
-
He had drunk more than was fit for him, and he was singing some light song, when he saw approaching, as he said, the pale horse mentioned in the Revelation, with Death seated as the rider. [1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:]
-
The rest we'll leave to be examined later, if we think fit; [2005, Lesley Brown, Sophist, translation of original by Plato, 243d:]
-
Sergeant Schlock has no horse, no armor, and no sword, but even the mightiest Mongol horse-warrior would see in him a fit heir. [2015 February 1, Howard Tayler, Schlock Mercenary, archived from the original on 14 May 2024:]
-
survival of the fittest
-
That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in. [c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:]
-
Wading through history, he noted that some eugenicists believed that the “distinction between the fit and the unfit could be drawn along racial lines,” and others would define a person as “feeble-minded.” [2019 May 28, Ariane de Vogue, “Why Clarence Thomas wrote over a dozen pages on eugenics”, in CNN:]
-
You don't have to be a good climber for Kilimanjaro, but you do have to be fit.
-
Even the fittest among us may have problems, because hypertension can be genetic or stem from kidney problems or sleep apnea, and the risk typically increases with age. [2026, Ginny Graves, “The Most Important Health Metric You're Not Tracking”, in Men's Health, volume 41, number 2, page 19:]
-
I think the girl working in the office is fit.
-
Got my hands down her jeans and I nearly lost half my arm / But after ten pints, she looked quite fit [1985, “Sweaty Betty”, in Beer & Sex & Chips n Gravy, performed by Macc Lads:]
-
I think you are really fit / You're fit but my gosh don't you know it. [2004, Mike Skinner, “Fit but You Know It”, in A Grand Don't Come for Free, performed by The Streets:]
-
I said I'd rather be with your friends, mate, cos they are much fitter. [2007, “Foundations”, in Kate Nash, Paul Eppworth (lyrics), Made of Bricks, performed by Kate Nash:]
-
So fit to shoot, she singled forth among her foes who first her quarry's strength should feel. [1600, [Torquato Tasso], “(please specify |book=1 to 20)”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC:]
Etymology
Possibly from Middle English fit (“an adversary of equal power”), of uncertain further origin. The original sense appears to have been "to marshal or deploy troops", which shifted to "to suit (troops to a certain location" > "suitable", and may be further related to Icelandic fitja (“to web, knit, cast on”).