fist

1 of 2

noun

ˈfist 

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

: index sense 5

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

Noun

Video showed Thomas appearing to press a closed fist directly into Clark's throat. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

And even more monsters can be found in sculptural works such as LeRage (2017), which shows a grayscale version of the Incredible Hulk smashing his fist into the ground and sending debris flying. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Burns grabbed his knee and pounded the ground with his fist in pain. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

De la Espriella, who was elected in June, has suspended talks with rebel groups and has taken an iron-fist approach to crime. — CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing fist

• fist bump
• fist pump
• hand over fist
• mailed fist
• make a good fist of
• make a poor fist of
• rule with an iron fist/hand

Rhymes for fist

• cist
• cyst
• didst
• gist
• grist
• hissed
• kissed
• kist
• list
• missed
• mist
• schist

Kids Definition

fist

noun

ˈfist

1

: the hand clenched with fingers doubled into the palm

2

: index entry 1 sense 4

Medical Definition

fist

noun

ˈfist 

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