奮戦|ふんせんfunsen[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbhard fighting

• Related立ち向かうたちむかうNeutralA verb for facing an opponent or difficulty head-on; unlike 「奮戦」, the clash may not yet have become an actual fight.
• Related持ちこたえるもちこたえるNeutralTo hold out against an offensive or adversity to the very end; the stress is on defending your ground, not on fighting hard as 「奮戦」 does.
• Related楯突くたてつくNeutralTo defy or talk back to a superior or someone stronger; leans toward everyday interpersonal conflict rather than battle.
• Related踏ん張るふんばるNeutralTo plant your feet and push, figuratively gritting your teeth and holding on; common in speech, while 「奮戦」 praises brave fighting.
• Related辛抱しんぼうNeutralTo endure pain and persevere; no fighting is involved, which is the core of 「奮戦」.
• Related抵抗ていこうNeutralTo resist an outside force or power, including armed opposition, and also psychological aversion; the widest-ranging word of the set, far broader than 「奮戦」.
• Related耐えるたえるNeutralTo endure pain or bear up under an external force; it has none of 「奮戦」's sense of fighting back actively.
• Related抗戦こうせんWrittenWritten register: to fight in resistance against the enemy, stressing the resisting stance, as in 「徹底抗戦」.
• Related反抗はんこうNeutralDefiance of elders or authority; often used of a rebellious phase, not of brave fighting on a battlefield.
• Related迎え撃つむかえうつNeutralTo wait for the enemy to come and then strike; used mostly in military contexts and competitive matches.
• Related粘るねばるNeutralTo refuse to give up and hang on to the last, e.g. dragging things out in a match or negotiation; no praise of hard fighting.
• Related挑むいどむNeutralTo challenge an opponent or a difficult problem of your own accord; the emphasis lies on launching the challenge, not the fight itself.
• Related歯向かうはむかうNeutralColloquial: to resist or turn on someone stronger; it can be either commendatory or derogatory.
• Related争うあらそうNeutralWritten 「争う」, it is normally read 「あらそう」 and means to contend or compete; read 「あらがう」, it is the same as 「抗う」 above, to resist.
• Related抗うあらがうWrittenWritten register: to resist fate, pressure or the like, with a strongly literary flavour; it lacks 「奮戦」's sense of fighting hard in battle.
• Related踏みとどまるふみとどまるNeutralTo stay where you are and refuse to retreat, or to stop yourself in time; the emphasis is on holding fast, not on fighting.
• Related悪あがきわるあがきCasualColloquial and derogatory: a futile struggle once the cause is lost; 「奮戦」 is commendatory, praising brave fighting.
• Related踏みこたえるふみこたえるWrittenWritten register: to keep your footing under pressure; close in sense to 「踏みとどまる」 and used less often.
• Related耐え忍ぶたえしのぶWrittenWritten register: to bear hardship in silence without resisting — the opposite of rising to fight as 「奮戦」 implies.
• Related抗拒こうきょWrittenTo resist and refuse; rare in written prose, and not confined to legal contexts.
• Related手向かうてむかうNeutralTo fight back against someone stronger or against an order; rare, and everyday speech prefers 「歯向かう」.
• Antonym降伏こうふくNeutralAntonym: to admit defeat and surrender — the direct opposite of 「奮戦」's fighting on bravely.
• Antonym撤退てったいNeutralAntonym: pulling out of a position or exiting a market — the opposite of 「奮戦」's fighting on.

For fighting bravely, 「奮戦」 (or 「奮闘」) is the word. To grit your teeth and hold on, use 「踏ん張る」 or 「粘る」; to defy authority, 「反抗」; to take on a hard problem, 「挑む」. 「抵抗」 is the broad word for resisting any outside force or power, and 「耐える」 is enduring. 「降伏」 and 「撤退」 are the antonyms.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 気力きりょくを奮い起ふるいおこし戦たたかうこと。