fit

comparative fitter · superlative fittest

1. Suitable; proper

   You have nothing to say about it. I'll do exactly as I see fit.

   4 more examples

   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

2. Adapted to a purpose or environment.

   survival of the fittest

   2 more examples

   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

3. In good shape; physically well.

   You don't have to be a good climber for Kilimanjaro, but you do have to be fit.

   1 more example

   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

4. UKinformalslangSexually attractive; good-looking; fanciable.

   I think the girl working in the office is fit.

   3 more examples

   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

5. obsoletePrepared; ready.

   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

present singular third person fits · participle present fitting · participle past fitted · past fitted

1. transitiveTo be suitable for.

   It fits the purpose.

   1 more example

   The speaker should be certain that his subject fits the occasion.

   1918, Richard Dennis Teall Hollister, Speech-making, publ. George Wahr, pg. 81

2. ambitransitiveTo have sufficient space available at some location to be able to be there.

   The elevator can fit up to 10 people.

   1 more example

   Ten clowns fit in the car, but not a hundred.

3. transitiveTo conform to in size and shape.

   The small shirt doesn't fit me, so I'll buy the medium size.

   1 more example

   If I lose a few kilos, the gorgeous wedding dress might fit me.

4. intransitiveTo be of the right size and shape

   I wanted to borrow my little sister's jeans, but they didn't fit.

   4 more examples

   She's changed the lock on our front door / My door key don't fit no more

   1947, “Move It On Over”, performed by Hank Williams

   I know the pieces fit / 'Cause I watched them fall away

   2001, “Schism”, in Maynard James Keenan (lyrics), Adam Jones, Danny Carey, Maynard James Keenan, and Justin Chancellor (music), Lateralus, performed by Tool, track 5

   Even though in a way you let him freeze to death in the water, because the way I see it... / I agree. Y'know, I think he actually could have fitted on that bit of door. / There was plenty of room on the raft. / I know. I know, I know.

   2016 February 2, Kate Winslet et al., Jimmy Kimmel Live!

   That plug fitted into the other socket, but it won't go in this one.

   Synonyms: sit

5. transitiveTo make conform in size and shape.

   I want to fit the drapes to the windows.

   1. transitiveTo tailor; to change to the appropriate size.

      I had a suit fitted by the tailor.

6. transitiveTo be in agreement with.

   These definitions fit most of the usage.

   1 more example

   Type D half-lines ending in words of this type are analysed by Hutcheson as ending in two completely unstressed syllables. That analysis must be descriptively correct for, say, the 10th cent.; whether it would have fitted the facts in the 8th cent. is much less clear.

   2004 October 14, Don Ringe, “Old English maþelian, mæþlan, mǣlan”, in J. H. W. Penney, editor, Indo-European Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Anna Morpurgo Davies, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 427

7. transitiveTo adjust.

   The regression program fit a line to the data.

8. transitiveTo attach, especially when requiring exact positioning or sizing.

   Williams had a problem fitting his left rear tyre and that left Alonso only 3.1secs adrift when he rejoined from his final stop three laps later.

   2012 May 13, Andrew Benson, “Williams's Pastor Maldonado takes landmark Spanish Grand Prix win”, in BBC Sport

9. transitiveTo equip or supply.

   The chandler will fit us with provisions for a month.

10. transitiveTo make ready.

    I’m fitting to go home and sleep.

    3 more examples

    I’m fitting the ship for a summer sail home.

    'I am fitting to go to South Hadley Seminary [as Mount Holyoke was known], and expect if my health is good to enter that institution a year from next fall', she confided to Abiah.

    1846, Lyndall Gordon, quoting Emily Dickinson, letter, quoted in Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds, published 2010

    Thirty years ago, if a girl wished for training, there was none to be had. I can truly say there was no training to be had to fit a woman thoroughly for any life whatever.

    1871, Florence Nightingale, Una and the Lion, page 12

    Synonyms: fix to

11. archaicintransitiveTo be seemly.
12. To be proper or becoming.

    Nor fits it to prolong the heav'nly feast.

    1725, Homer, “Book III”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC

13. intransitiveTo be in harmony.

    The paint, the fabrics, the rugs all fit.

    Synonyms: mesh

plural fits

1. The degree to which something fits.

   This shirt is a bad fit.

   1 more example

   Since he put on weight, his jeans have been a tight fit.

2. Conformity of elements one to another.

   It's hard to get a good fit using second-hand parts.

3. The part of an object upon which anything fits tightly.
4. advertisingMeasure of how well a particular commercial execution captures the character or values of a brand.

   The Wonder Bread advertising research results showed the “White Picket Fence” commercial had strong fit ratings.

5. mathematicsGoodness of fit.
6. bridgeThe quality of a partnership's combined holding of cards in a suit, particularly of trump.

   During the auction, it is often a partnership's goal to find an eight-card major suit fit.

plural fits

1. archaicA section of a poem or ballad.

   Dr. Percy has written a long ballad in many fits.

   1771, Samuel Johnson, "Letter to Bennet Langton, Esq. (March 20)," in James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), vol 2

plural fits

1. A seizure or convulsion.

   My grandfather died after having a fit.

2. medicineA sudden and vigorous appearance of a symptom over a short period of time.
3. A sudden outburst of emotion.

   He threw a fit (of temper) when his car broke down.

   2 more examples

   He had a laughing fit which lasted more than ten minutes.

   She had a fit and threw all of his clothes out through the window.

   Synonyms: spell, moment

4. A sudden burst (of an activity).

   A fit of spring-cleaning led Eric Brooks to a box of old newspaper clips from 1997.

   2007 July 9, Ryan J. Foley, “Wisconsin city's largest employer threatens to leave over ethanol”, in Associated Press

   Synonyms: flurry, frenzy, paroxysm

present singular third person fits · participle present fitting · participle past fitted · past fitted

1. intransitivemedicineTo suffer a fit.

   A spokesman said: "It is believed they (the dogs) got into the lake and drank from it. They came out and started fitting. Shortly after that three of them died and vets are attempting to resuscitate the other one."

   2016 May 18, “Three dogs die and seven more ill after drinking from the same Kent lake amid contamination fears”, in The Telegraph

1. IrelandSouthern USdatedparticiplepastAfrican-American Vernacularsimple past and past participle of fight; fought.

   c. 19th century, unknown author, Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down

   2 more examples

   There wonst was two cats in Kilkenny; / And aich thought there was one cat too many. / So they quarrelled and fit; / And they scratched, and they bit; / Till, excepting their tails / And some scraps of their nails, / Instead of two cats there wan't any.

   1867 November, unknown author, The Galaxy, volume 4, New York: W.C. & F.P. Church, retrieved 27 Oct 2023, page 883

   He didn't just set around and try to out sweettalk^([sic]) somebody; he got out and out-fit somebody. He wouldn't be blowing when he told his boys how he fit for the woman he got.

   a. 1940, Mildred Haun, “Shin-Bone Rocks”, in The Hawk's Done Gone, page 218

plural fits

1. slangAn outfit, a set of clothing.

   How do you like the fit?

   1 more example

   Piker had already shown off his “cozy-ass ’fit” (sweatpants with kitschy bald eagles, a custom pair of platform Crocs), and recounted his experience the previous night at the Streamer Awards, a red-carpet event honoring A-listers on Twitch—the popular live-streaming site where he is one of the biggest stars, and the only prominent leftist.

   2025 March 17, Andrew Marantz, “The Battle for the Bros”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN

plural FITs

1. abbreviationcountableinitialismInitialism of feed-in tariff.
2. abbreviationinitialismuncountableaeronauticsInitialism of fully inclusive tour.
3. abbreviationinitialismuncountableaeronauticsInitialism of fully independent travel.

1. abbreviationinitialismfile formatInitialism of flexible and interoperable data transfer, a format used by Garmin devices.

plural FiTs

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of feed-in tariff.