fit1
/fɪt
/adjective (fitter, fittest)
1 [predicative] Of a suitable quality, standard, or type to meet the required purpose: the house was not fit for human habitation [with infinitive]: is the water clean and fit to drink?...
- Under the Sale of Goods Act retailers must sell goods that are of a satisfactory quality, are accurately described on the packaging and are fit for their purpose.
- Mr. Saunders apparently thinks that the boat, as delivered, was fit for the purpose for which it was intended.
- I contacted a wine merchant in London and told him I wanted to buy some that would be fit for drinking in ten years time.
Synonyms
suitable, good enough;
relevant, pertinent, apt, appropriate, suited, apposite, apropos, -worthy;
fitting, befitting, proper, due, seemly, decorous, decent, right, correct;
French comme il faut
archaic meet
1.1Having the requisite qualities or skills to undertake something competently: [with infinitive]: the party was fit to govern...
- Between now and the next general election we have to persuade millions of people up and down the country that this Conservative party is fit for government.
- William Hague hopes to use this week's Conservative conference to prove he is fit for government.
- Neither of these men is stupid enough to believe that churches are fit to govern a secular society, unlike many of their junior colleagues.
Synonyms
competent, able, capable;
adequate, good enough, satisfactory, proficient;
ready, prepared, qualified, trained, equipped, eligible, worthy
informal up to scratch
1.2Suitable and correct according to accepted social standards: a fit subject on which to correspond...
- Many former stars say it is not a fit subject for the soap.
- But religion is a private matter, and thus not a fit subject for an inaugural address.
- It is not for the Speaker to judge whether it is fit and proper for a Minister to have access to official information.
1.3 [with infinitive] informal Having reached such an extreme condition as to be on the point of doing the thing specified: he baited even his close companions until they were fit to kill him...
- Rhyann looked fit to kill, but it was nothing compared to Gavin's anger when Alex had first fallen under.
- The water hurt his nose and stung his lungs and he felt fit to burst.
- He is so excited about his aspiration that his bubble is fit to burst.
Synonyms
ready, prepared, on the point of, set, all set, in a fit state, primed, disposed, likely, about
informal up for, geared up, psyched up
1.4 informal Ready: well, are you fit?...
- Now just put on these boots and you're fit to go!
- Are you fit then to return to the lecture?
2In good health, especially because of regular physical exercise: my family keep fit by walking and cycling figurative the measures would ensure a leaner, fitter company...
- People who are physically fit are happier, healthier and more productive than those who are not.
- The only way to get fit is to make exercise a regularly scheduled part of every week, even every day.
- Research has shown that most of us regularly over-estimate how fit we are and how much real physical activity we do.
Synonyms
healthy, well, in good health;
in good shape, in shape, in good trim, in trim, in good condition, in tip-top condition, in fine fettle, fighting fit, as fit as a fiddle, as fit as a flea, as strong as an ox;
strong, robust, hale and hearty, sturdy, hardy, stalwart, lusty, vigorous, sound;
athletic, muscular, strapping, tough, powerful, rugged
informal right as rain, husky, ripped, shredded
North American informal buff
2.1British informal Sexually attractive; good-looking: who’s this fit babe?...
- Some really fit guy wearing a gorgeous top came wandering down the stairs.
- Who is that guy? Oh he's so fit!
- I have got a girlfriend from college but I have recently been introduced to a really fit girl through a friend of mine.
verb (fits, fitting, fitted or US also fit) [with object]
1Be of the right shape and size for: those jeans still fit me [no object]: the shoes fitted better after being stretched...
- We have a large range of picture frames of all shapes and sizes to fit any photo, from a back yard snapshot to a professional portrait or even a personal artwork.
- Try shoes on both feet and buy the size that best fits the larger foot.
- A visible callus that forms on the feet is known as a corn and usually results from shoes that do not fit properly.
Synonyms
be the right/correct size (for), be big/small enough (for), be the right shape (for)
informal fit like a glove
1.1 (usually be fitted for) Try clothing on (someone) in order to make or alter it to the correct size: she was about to be fitted for her costume...
- One of the most embarrassing moments in Deirdre's life was when she had to be fitted for protective clothing at work and they had to use two tape measures end to end to go round her.
- When you are fitted for your tuxedo a small deposit is usually required.
- The preparations for the engagement event consisted mostly of Marigold and her mother being fitted for gowns at the Earl's expense.
1.2 [no object, with adverbial of place] Be of the right size, shape, or number to occupy a particular place: Fiona says we can all fit in her car...
- Drain the water and set the spears on a plate, and cut them to size so they can fit on top of the muffins without drooping over the sides too much.
- Cut the slices of bread to a size that will fit inside your soup bowls, and toast them until dark brown on both sides.
- Spar have come up with ingenious pocket Eco Bag which is a small, wallet size bag that fits neatly into a pocket or handbag so you're always armed and ready to shop.
2Install or fix (something) into place: they fitted smoke alarms to their home...
- Adam, our installer, was fitting some other stuff and left to go on to another job whilst I changed 16 of the handles.
- If not, why didn't you call a local Sky Installation Engineer to fit your dish?
- So he came round, and we positioned it and fitted the great drive-belt.
Synonyms
lay, put in place/position, position, place, fix, insert;
arrange, adjust, shape
2.1 (often be fitted with) Provide (something) with a particular component or article: most tools can be fitted with a new handle...
- Each table is fitted with a grill for you to cook the deliciously marinated meat.
- Make sure you lock windows and doors, which should be fitted with security deadlocks
- She claims it was sheer luck that the blaze was caught in time, because her kitchen was not fitted with a smoke alarm.
Synonyms
equip, provide, supply, fit out, rig out, furnish, outfit, endow
2.2Join or cause to join together to form a whole: [no object]: their bodies fitted together perfectly [with object]: many physicists tried to fit together the various pieces of the puzzle...
- Currently sheet metal barriers were being fitted together behind the factory.
- Extra fuel tanks may need to be fitted together with spare jerricans.
- The limestone is produced in special moulds and can be fitted together like a jigsaw to form any configuration.
Synonyms
join, connect, put together, piece together, attach, unite, link, splice, fuse, weld
3Be compatible or in agreement with; match: the landlord had not seen anyone fitting that description...
- In some respects the description had fitted Naylor, while in others it did not.
- The descriptions the woman gave fitted those of the two girls Tessa had seen before.
- It was clear that none of the six men who claimed to be at the warehouse could possibly fit the police officer's description.
3.1Be suitable or appropriate for: the punishment should fit the crime...
- To some no punishment fits such a crime, and these people honestly believe the murderers deserve no sympathy at all.
- That means criminalizing behavior such as the spreading of viruses and setting up a punishment that fits the resulting economic damage.
- But it must be for independent judges, not party political ministers, to decide what particular punishment fits what particular crime.
Synonyms
be appropriate to, suit, correspond to;
agree with, tally with, go with, be in agreement with, accord with, correlate to, be congruous with, be congruent with, concur with, dovetail with, conform to, be consonant with, match
3.2(Of an attribute, qualification, or skill) make (someone) suitable to fulfil a particular role or undertake a particular task: an MSc fits the student for a professional career...
- His freshness, his directness and his capacity for making connections with people both in person and on the television screen certainly fitted him for the task.
- He regarded his own intellectual gifts and cast of mind as properly fitting him for the task.
- His passion for lists, dates and details fits him well for this task.
Synonyms
qualify, prepare, make ready, make suitable, prime, condition, train, coach, groom, tailor
noun
1The particular way in which something, especially a garment or component, fits: the dress was a perfect fit...
- Perfect fit is accomplished when garments just skim the body, without pulling or sagging.
- A belt that doesn't have holes is even easier, as it's fully adjustable for a perfect fit.
- If you find a pair of black pants or a skirt that are the perfect fit, consider buying more than one pair.
1.1The particular way in which things match: a close fit between teachers' qualifications and their teaching responsibilities...
- The band may be sore because there's a close fit between their own fan base and the kind of campus kids who have got into illegal downloading big time.
- It is also a way to gain knowledge of what is a good fit or match for your personality type.
- Marketing is a dynamic process of ensuring a close fit between the capabilities of an organization and the demands placed upon it by its external environment.
Synonyms
correlation, correspondence, agreement, consistency, equivalence, match, similarity, resemblance, comparability, compatibility, affinity, concurrence
1.2 Statistics The correspondence between observed data and the values expected by theory.A smaller ratio score signifies good fit, and values near 2.0 are considered acceptable....
- Accurate measurements of these parameters could lead to a better fit of the theory to experiment.
- A thermal history involving two discrete episodes of heating and cooling clearly provides the best fit to the measured data.
Phrases
(as) fit as a fiddle
fit for purpose
fit for a king (or queen)
fit like a glove
fit the bill
fit to be tied
fit to bust
see (or think) fit
Phrasal verbs
fit in
fit someone/thing in (or into)
fit someone/thing out (or up)
fit someone up
Derivatives
fitly
/ adverb ...- In the beginning, it seemed to be a very happy marriage, since the two poets could inspire and parallel each other so fitly.
- She denied she was a strong-minded woman, but ‘if a word fitly spoken and in due season can be urged at a time like this, we should not withhold it.’
- Science since Darwin is fact upon fact, instance upon instance, experiment upon experiment, principle upon principle, which fitly joined together by some master mind may establish some great truth.
Origin
Late Middle English: of unknown origin.
Rhymes
fit2
/fɪt/noun
1A sudden attack of convulsions and/or loss of consciousness, typical of epilepsy and some other medical conditions: the child had frequent fits...
- Febrile convulsions are fits that sometimes happen in a child with a high temperature.
- If the child has a history of epilepsy, it can be difficult to tell the difference between febrile convulsions and epileptic fits.
- Alexandra has cerebral palsy, is confined to a wheelchair and suffers from frequent epileptic fits.
Synonyms
convulsion, spasm, paroxysm, seizure, attack;
(fits) throes;
Medicine ictus
2A sudden short period of uncontrollable coughing, laughter, etc.One rehearsal we were supposed to look lovingly into each other's eyes but kept bursting into uncontrollable fits of laughter....
- He muffled his sudden fit of laughter, coughing rather violently to disguise it.
- In fits of laughter, he told them I was his son.
Synonyms
outbreak, outburst, burst, attack, bout, spell, eruption, explosion, flare-up, blow-up
rare access
2.1A sudden burst of intense emotion: he had killed her in a fit of jealous rage...
- If at all he became angry, he would keep quiet rather than burst out in a fit of temper.
- In a fit of fury Calvert who was known to be a violent and irrational person burst into Smedleys home and hurled a heavy stone ornament at him.
- Yes, authors and creators can suffer fits of pique that can hurt the markets for secondary works.
Synonyms
tantrum, fit of temper, outburst of anger, outburst of rage, frenzy, fury
informal paddy, state, stress
North American informal blowout, hissy fit
rare ebullition, boutade
verb [no object]
Have an epileptic fit: he started fitting uncontrollably...
- He had had no medication and so he was fitting four to five times a day.
- He has been fitting every day for the last six days.
- She fitted twice more on the way up, the second time slipping dangerously out of the chair at the top of some steps.
Phrases
give someone a fit
have (or throw) a fit
in fits (of laughter)
in (or by) fits and starts
Origin
Old English fitt 'conflict', in Middle English 'position of danger or excitement', also 'short period'; the sense 'sudden attack of illness' dates from the mid 16th century.
fit3
/fɪt/(also fytte)
noun archaic
A section of a poem.The balance of this first fytte consists mostly of lengthy dialogue detailing the knight's impoverishment....
- When the knight is introduced in a later fytte of the poem, he is called Sir Richard-at-the-Lee.
- Percy has written a long ballad in many fits: it is pretty enough.
Origin
Old English fitt, perhaps the same word as fit2, or related to German Fitze 'skein of yarn', in the obsolete sense 'thread with which weavers mark off a day's work'.
- decenter
- decently
- decentralisation
- decentralise
- decentralist
- decentralization
- decentralize
- decentre
- decent-sized
- deception
- deceptive
- deceptively
- deceptiveness
- decerebrate
- decerebration
- decertification
- decertify
- de-Christianise
- de-Christianization
- de-Christianize
- deci-
- Decian
- decibel
- decidability
- decidable