1.
fighting spirit, drive, determination
The energy and will to keep going, especially in challenging situations. Used as a noun referring to someone's inner drive.
2.
Go for it!, You can do it!, Hang in there!
An exclamation of encouragement shouted at someone who is competing, working hard, or facing a challenge. A wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English) usage that does not exist in English.
From English "fight," but used in Japanese in ways not found in English. This is a classic example of wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English usage). In English, you would not shout "Fight!" to encourage someone taking an exam; in Japanese, ファイト is perfectly natural in this context.
Usage
As an interjection, it stands alone or with particles: ファイト！or ファイトだよ！As a noun, it takes particles: ファイトがある (to have fighting spirit), ファイトを出す (to show fighting spirit). Very commonly heard at sports events, but also used casually among friends.
Common collocations
- ファイトがある: to have fighting spirit
- ファイトを出す: to show determination
- ファイト一発: one burst of fighting spirit (associated with a famous energy drink)