braccio di ferro
/ˈbrat.t͡ʃo di ˈfɛr.ro/word by wordmasculine
The English phrase arm wrestling is translated into Italian as braccio di ferro.
braccio di ferro is used to refer to the sport of arm wrestling.
Meaning: a sport (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'arm of iron'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine and does not change its form when used in a sentence to describe the sport itself.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈbrat.tʃo di ˈfɛr.ro/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- Beyond the sport, braccio di ferro is used as an idiom to describe a stalemate or a tense power struggle between two opposing forces.
- While ferro means 'iron', it is also used in Italian to refer to a 'firearm' or a 'weapon' in slang.
- The Italian word braccio comes from the Latin 'brachium', which was borrowed from the Ancient Greek word βραχίων.
Examples in context
- Oggi abbiamo organizzato un torneo di braccio di ferro al parco.Today, we organized an arm wrestling tournament at the park.
- Il braccio di ferro è molto faticoso.Arm wrestling is very tiring.
- Hanno organizzato un torneo di braccio di ferro.They organized an arm wrestling tournament.
- Vuoi fare un braccio di ferro con me?Do you want to arm wrestle with me?
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Chiara are at a summer camp.
- LorenzoChiara, ti va un braccio di ferro?Chiara, do you feel like arm wrestling?
- ChiaraCerto, ma non credo di vincere!Sure, but I don't think I'll win!
- LorenzoNon preoccuparti, sarà divertente.Don't worry, it will be fun.
- ChiaraVa bene, prepariamo il tavolo.Okay, let's set up the table.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “arm wrestling” translations and entries braccio di ferro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (braccio, di, ferro) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries braccio, braccio di ferro, di, ferro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
