pick a fight
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To deliberately start a quarrel or argument
Literally: select a conflict
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
To pick a fight with her, that's courageous.Gây sự với cô ấy, dũng cảm đấy.
Tatoeba sentence #1989811 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “pick a fight” mean?
To deliberately start a quarrel or argument Literally: select a conflict
Is “pick a fight” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“gây sự” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.