1 B2 neutral
To defend yourself against a physical attack by blocking or pushing away an attacker.
"She used her bag to fend off the attacker until help arrived."
separable
fend off
B2 neutral separable transitive
To defend yourself against an attack, a threat, or unwanted attention by pushing it away or deflecting it.
In plain English
To stop someone or something from reaching or hurting you by pushing them away.
What does "fend off" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To deal with difficult questions, criticism, or unwanted attention by deflecting or avoiding them.
"The CEO spent most of the press conference fending off questions about the scandal."
“
He had spent months fending off criticism of his handling of the economy.
— Common journalistic phrasing; widely used in UK/US broadsheet reporting.
separable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To resist or overcome illness, tiredness, or another unwanted physical condition.
"Eating plenty of vitamin C can help you fend off a cold."
separable
4 C1 idiomatic formal
To protect a business or organization against a hostile takeover, competitor, or threat.
"The board voted to reject the offer and fend off the takeover bid."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To defend by pushing something away from yourself.
Actually means
To stop someone or something from reaching or hurting you by pushing them away.
Usage tip
Used in both physical and figurative contexts. Very common in journalism for sports, politics, and business (e.g., 'fend off a takeover bid', 'fend off questions'). The object is usually placed after 'off' or between the two parts.
Words that pair with "fend off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
attack criticism questions rivals infection takeover
How to conjugate "fend off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fend off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fends off
he/she/it
Past simple
fended off
yesterday
Past participle
fended off
have + pp
-ing form
fending off
continuous
Hear "fend off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fend off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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