Quick Definition
μάχομαι v. I engage in battle, fight, strive
Strong's Definition
middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to war, i.e. (figuratively) to quarrel, dispute
KJV Usage: fight, strive
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | διαμάχομαι · θεομάχος · θηριομαχέω · θυμομαχέω · λογομαχέω · λογομαχία · μάχη
39.23 · Hostility, Strife · Strife, Struggle
to clash severely, struggle, fight serious conflict, either physical or non-physical, but clearly intensive and bitter In order to suggest something of the intensity of conflict in μάχομαι and μάχη, it may be useful in some instances to employ similes in the rendering of these terms, for example, ‘they opposed one another just as though they were actually fighting one another’ or ‘they are fighting, as it were.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
μάχομαι ; impf. 3 pers. plur. ἐμάχοντο ; [allied with μάxaipa; Curtius §459; Vanicek p. 687; fr. Hom. down]; to fight: prop. of armed combatants, or those who engage in a hand-to-hand struggle, Acts vii. 26; trop. of those who engage in a war of words, fo quarrel, wrangle, dis2 Tim. ii. 24; πρὸς ἀλλήλους, Jn. vi. 52 [ef. W. § 31,5; B.§ 133, 8]; of those who contend at law for property and privileges, Jas. iv. 2. [Comp.: διαμάχομαι. SYN. see πόλεμος, b.]|
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
μάχομαι machomai 4x
to fight; to quarrel, Acts 7:26; 2 Tim. 2:24; to contend, dispute, Jn. 6:52; Jas. 4:2*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
μάχομαι,
[in LXX chiefly for ריב, also for נצה ni., etc.;]
to fight: Ac 7:26.
to quarrel, dispute: II Ti 2:24, Ja 4:2; πρὸς ἀλλήλους, Jo 6:52 (cf. δια-μάχομαι).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
μάχομαι. The metaph. use of this verb (cf. s.v. μάχη) is seen in the sententious letter of a brother to his sister, P Oxy I. 120° (iv/A.D.) χρὴ γάρ τινα ὁρῶντα αἱαυτὸν ἐν δυστυχίᾳ κἂν ἀναχωρῖν καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς μάχαισθαι (/. μάχεσθαι) τῷ δεδογμένῳ, ‘when a man finds himself in adversity he ought to give way and not fight stubbornly against fate’’ (Edd.) : cf. Kaibel 1039! κύμασι μάχεσθαι χαλεπόν, and Sy// 737°%° (c. A.D. 175) where, with reference to the magistrates appointed to keep order in assemblies, it is laid down—emuretμια δὲ ἔστω τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ εὐκόσμῳ μὴ ἐκβαλόντι τοὺς μαχο-
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
μάχομαι (machomai) — to quarrel. μάχομαι [ᾰ], Ionic dialect present optative μαχέοιτο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; participle μαχεόμενος variant in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect μαχειόμενος [Refs 8th c.BC+]: Epic dialect imperfect μαχέσκετο [Refs 8th c.BC+]: future μαχήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μαχέσομαι, δια-μαχεσόμεθα (as variant) [Refs]; also in late Prose, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist ἐμαχεσάμην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; infinitive μαχέσασθαι [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; participle μαχεσσαμένω [Refs 8th c.BC+]: perfect μεμάχημαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: late aorist ἐμαχέσθην [Refs 1st c.AD+]future μαχεσθήσομαι only [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—fight, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μάχην μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+] mostly of armies and persons fighting as parts of armies, but sometimes of single combat, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; between men and beasts, [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—Constr.: with dative person, fight with, i. e. against, one, ἀνδράσιν ἶφι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. ἀντία, ἐναντίον τινός, [Refs 8th c.BC+] against heaven's will, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. σὺν σοί,.. θεά, with thy help, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μετὰ πρώτοισι μ. among the foremost, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μετὰ Βοιωτῶν μ. with them, in their ranks,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατὰ σφέας γὰρ μαχέονται will fight by themselves, [Refs 8th c.BC+] fight in single combat, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. πρό τινος before him: hence, metaphorically, for him, in his defence, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; but later usually περί τινος, [Refs 8th c.BC+], of boxers, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. ἀπ᾽ ἵππου fight from horseback, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ μήπω μεμαχημένον the force that had not yet come into action, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. with accusative, fight against, only falsa lectio in [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II. generally, quarrel, wrangle, ἔριδι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τινι [Refs]; τῷ παιδὶ μ. make a scene with.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; dispute, argue, περί τι μ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. contend for the mastery in games, etc., πὺξ μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; measure oneself with or against, τινι[Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. after [Refs 8th c.BC+], struggle against a force, ἀνάγκᾳ δ᾽ οὐδὲ θεοὶ μ. [Refs 7th c.BC+]; μ. τῷ λιμῷ, τῷ δίψει, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
V. with infinitive, struggle, make an effort to do, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
VI. of arguments, propositions, etc., to be in contradiction or inconsistent, τρία ὁμολογήματα μ. αὐτὰ αὑτοῖς [Refs 5th c.BC+]