1.
fighting spirit; combativeness; competitive drive
An inner drive to compete, fight, and not give in. Used positively for athletes and competitors who show strong determination, and sometimes negatively for excessive aggressiveness.
闘争心を燃やす。
To burn with fighting spirit.
彼は闘争心の強い選手だ。
He is a player with a strong competitive drive.
負けが続いても闘争心を失わないところが彼女の強みだ。
Her strength is that she doesn't lose her fighting spirit even after a string of losses.
Composed of 闘争 (struggle/fight) and 心 (spirit/heart). Describes an inner fire and determination to compete and win. Most commonly used in sports commentary and descriptions of competitive people.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 闘争心を燃やす: to burn with fighting spirit
- 闘争心が強い: to have strong fighting spirit
- 闘争心を失う: to lose one's fighting spirit
- 闘争心を剥き出しにする: to bare one's fighting spirit
- 闘争心旺盛: full of fighting spirit
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 闘志: fighting spirit — very similar; slightly more literary
- 根性: guts / tenacity — emphasizes endurance and toughness, more colloquial
- 気合: spirit / energy — short-term burst of motivation, often with a shout
- 負けん気: competitive spirit / refusing to lose — focuses specifically on the desire not to be defeated