Engaged in or characterized by bare-knuckle fighting; conducted without protective equipment or mercy.
From 'bare-knuckle' plus the participial suffix '-ed,' creating an adjective that emphasizes the active state of fighting without gloves or protection.
The term 'bare-knuckled' became popular in business language too—people talk about 'bare-knuckled negotiations' to mean tough dealing without politeness, borrowing the intensity of illegal prize fights.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.