kampflos
without a fight
Without putting up a fight or resistance; surrendering.
EXAMPLE
Die belagerte Festung ergab sich kampflos.
The besieged fortress surrendered without a fight.
kampflos
without a fight
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Meanings
kampflos
without a fight
In a figurative sense, giving up without effort or struggle, or no longer pursuing a goal.
EXAMPLE
Er hat das Projekt nicht kampflos aufgegeben, sondern bis zuletzt daran gearbeitet.
He did not give up the project without a fight, but worked on it until the very end.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is composed of 'Kampf' (fight) and the ending '-los' (-less, without). The ending '-los' means 'without', so 'kampflos' literally means 'without a fight'.
EXAMPLE
Der Gegner war so stark, dass unser Team den Sieg kampflos abgeben musste.
The opponent was so strong that our team had to concede the victory without a fight.
Adverbial use
'Kampflos' is very often used like an adverb to describe how an action is carried out. In that case, it remains unchanged after the verb.
EXAMPLE
Die Mannschaft hat das Spiel kampflos verloren.
The team lost the game without a fight.
Typical collocations
In the literal sense, 'kampflos' is often combined with verbs such as 'sich ergeben' (to surrender), 'aufgeben' (to give up), 'verlieren' (to lose), or 'eine Stadt übergeben' (to hand over a city).
EXAMPLE
Nach wochenlanger Belagerung ergab sich die Armee kampflos.
After weeks of siege, the army surrendered without a fight.
In real life
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