Meaning: To fight very fiercely and with great determination
Hindi: जी-जान से लड़ना
Synonyms: struggle fiercely, battle intensely
Asked in: SSC Steno 2026 T-1 · SSC CPO 2020 T-2 · SSC CGL 2020 T-1 · SSC CPO 2018-20 T-2
fight tooth and nail in SSC previous-year questions
- SSC Steno 2026 T-1 Idioms & Phrases
Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom.
To fight tooth and nailAnswer & explanation
Answer: B) To fight fiercely and determinedly
Meaning: to fight tooth and nail = to fight fiercely and determinedly, using every means available *(जी-जान से लड़ना, पूरी ताकत से संघर्ष करना)*.
Origin.
Stripped of weapons, an animal — or a person — still has its teeth and its nails.
To fight with both is to hold nothing back.
Why the others are wrong.
• to fight with little effort *(कम प्रयास से लड़ना)* — the opposite; that is *to go through the motions*.
• to fight alone *(अकेले लड़ना)* — that is *to fight single-handedly*.
• to fight unfairly *(अनुचित तरीके से लड़ना)* — that is *to hit below the belt*.
*Tooth and nail says how hard you fight, not how fairly or with whom.* - SSC CPO 2020 T-2 Idioms & Phrases
Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom.
Fight tooth and nailAnswer & explanation
Answer: D) Fight very fiercely
✅ Correct Answer: Option D (Fight very fiercely)
Type: Idiom
"Fight tooth and nail" = to fight or struggle with all one's strength, very fiercely (पूरी ताकत से लड़ना).
Why the others are wrong
• (A) be in high spirits, (B) insist on something, (C) win the competition – none matches "fight fiercely".
Examples
- “They fought tooth and nail to save their business.”
fight tooth and nail – questions
What is the meaning of fight tooth and nail in Hindi?
fight tooth and nail means “जी-जान से लड़ना” in Hindi. In English: To fight very fiercely and with great determination
What are the synonyms of fight tooth and nail?
Synonyms of fight tooth and nail: struggle fiercely, battle intensely.
Has fight tooth and nail been asked in SSC exams?
Yes – fight tooth and nail has been asked 4 times in SSC exams: SSC Steno 2026 T-1, SSC CPO 2020 T-2, SSC CGL 2020 T-1, SSC CPO 2018-20 T-2.