fist

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of fistnext
1
: the hand clenched with the fingers doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers
pounded on the door with both fists
2
: the hand closed as in grasping : clutch
held the coin in his fist
3

fist

2 of 2

verb

fisted; fisting; fists

transitive verb

1
: to grip with the fist : handle
2
: to clench into a fist

Examples of fist in a Sentence

Noun He pounded his fist on the table in anger. She pounded on the door with both fists. He defiantly shook his fist at the policeman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The one eating the pretzels ate her last pretzel, then crushed the little metallic bag in her fist. Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 To get the resulting packet out of the pan, there's an official technique requiring you to smash your fist against the pan's handle. Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026 During this season, Perry pumped his fist after setting a back screen that set Clark free for a layup. Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 At one point, Woods tightly shuts his eyes while having to stack his fists, clap, and count. Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fist

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English fȳst; akin to Old High German fūst fist, Polish pięść, and probably to Old English fīf five

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fist was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fist. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

fist

noun
ˈfist
1
: the hand clenched with fingers doubled into the palm
2

Medical Definition

fist

noun
: the hand clenched with the fingers doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers

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