have at

verb

To attack; to engage in combat with.

“A huge dish of food was served, and we had at it.”

Similar
set to
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Meanings

verbhave at (third-person singular simple present has at, present participle having at, simple past and past participle had at)

present singular third person has at · participle present having at · participle past had at · past had at

  1. archaicidiomatictransitiveTo attack; to engage in combat with.

    ‘Now will I have at thee as a base kern and niddering,’ roared the knight.

    1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 57
    1 more example

    The Prince of Venosa was in their midst, shouting: "Have at the traitor! Kill! Kill!"

    1909, Anatole France (Alfred Allinson, translator), The Well of Saint Clare, ch. 10
  2. figurativelytransitiveTo take on; to begin dealing with.

    A huge dish of food was served, and we had at it.

    Synonyms: set to

interjection
  1. informalGo ahead.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo take on; to begin dealing with.

Similar
set to
Also see
get at

Translations

Polish brać się do, wziąć się do
  • brać się doto take on; to set to
  • wziąć się doto take on; to set to
  • zabierać się zato take on; to set to
  • zabrać się zato take on; to set to
Cite this entry
APA

have at. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20at

MLA

“have at.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20at. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have at,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20at.

Source: have at on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.