English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From cat +‎ fight. So named because, like cats, scratching is a common defensive tactic among women, as opposed to a fistfight between men.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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catfight (plural catfights)

  1. A fight between cats.
    The caterwauling from the catfight in the back yard was awful; I couldn't get to sleep until it was over.
  2. (slang) A fight or bickering, especially between women.
    Synonyms: hairpulling contest, (Australia) scragfight
    Nancy and Sheila got into a catfight when Nancy's boyfriend cheated on her with Sheila.
    • 1980, Louise Bernikow, Among Women, New York: Harmony Books, page 207:
      Female conflict, seen in this kind of structure, works conveniently—it takes note of aggression in women and sets it against other women. Men are spared. The audience applauds. Everyone loves a catfight.
    • 2005, Maureen Dowd, Are Men Necessary?, →ISBN, page 310:
      There was a time when I would get furious and fire off an angry note if someone cast me in a catfight with a woman colleague. I assumed that catfights would fade as women progressed. They seemed so retro.
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  • (fight, especially between women): catty

Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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