fit
fit Lexical Profile
fit Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
In good physical health and condition, especially as the result of regular exercise and proper nutrition.
"She stays remarkably fit by swimming thirty laps every morning before work."
Of a suitable quality, standard, or type to meet the required purpose or circumstances.
"After the storm damaged the roof, the old farmhouse was no longer fit for human habitation."
Having the necessary competence, qualifications, or mental state to perform a task or hold a position.
"The medical board concluded that the physician was fully fit to return to clinical practice."
• verb
To be of the right size, shape, or measurement for someone or something.
"These hiking boots fit so well that I never get blisters on long trails."
To install, fix, or put a component or piece of equipment into position.
"The carpenter will fit the new oak doors with brass locks tomorrow morning."
To agree with, match, or be harmonious with a particular pattern, theory, or set of facts.
"The newly discovered fossils fit the evolutionary timeline proposed by paleontologists."
To adapt, adjust, or prepare someone or something for a specific purpose or requirement.
"The university redesigned its curriculum to better fit graduates for careers in renewable energy."
• noun
The particular way in which a garment or component matches the size and shape of a person or object.
"The tailored jacket had a comfortable fit across the shoulders."
A sudden, short period of intense, uncontrolled emotion or activity.
"He tore up the draft in a fit of frustration before sitting down to rewrite it calmly."
A sudden, acute attack of an illness, convulsion, or physical symptom such as coughing or fainting.
"A sudden fit of coughing interrupted the speaker halfway through his presentation."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, both 'fit' and 'fitted' are standard past-tense and past-participle forms; in American English, 'fit' is preferred for intransitive senses of matching in size ("the coat fit well"), while 'fitted' is standard globally for transitive senses of equipping, tailoring, or adjusting something ("they fitted the cabin with new shelves"). Note also that the noun sense meaning a sudden seizure or emotional outburst derives from a separate Old English root.
• Rhymes for fit
Word Origin & Etymology
The adjective, verb, and noun relating to suitability and size derive from Middle English fitten ('to array or marshal'), likely of Scandinavian origin akin to Old Norse fitja ('to knit together'). The noun sense meaning a sudden seizure or emotional outburst comes from an unrelated Old English root, fitt ('a struggle or conflict').