fight down
To try very hard to stop a strong feeling, like being scared or feeling sick, from taking over.
Meanings
To suppress or overcome a powerful emotion or physical sensation through deliberate willpower.
"He fought down his panic and calmly began to look for a way out."
To resist or overcome an impulse or urge that one does not want to act on.
"She fought down the urge to laugh at his completely serious expression."
Primarily used with abstract emotional or physical reactions as objects: 'fight down panic/nausea/fear/anger'. Implies a conscious, effortful internal struggle. Less common than 'fight back' but used in similar emotional contexts. More common in written than spoken English.
Commonly used with
Forms
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