strife
Americannoun
-
vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism.
to be at strife.
- Synonyms:
- opposition, contrariety, disagreement, difference
- Antonyms:
- peace
-
a quarrel, struggle, or clash.
armed strife.
- Antonyms:
- peace
-
competition or rivalry.
the strife of the marketplace.
-
Archaic. strenuous effort.
noun
-
angry or violent struggle; conflict
-
rivalry or contention, esp of a bitter kind
-
trouble or discord of any kind
to get into strife
-
archaic striving
Other Word Forms
- strifeful adjective
- strifeless adjective
- understrife noun
Etymology
Origin of strife
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English strif, from Old French estrif, akin to estriver; strive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Players themselves were caught up in the strife and idealism of the era, Mr. Gittlitz shows.
They said they were concerned over negative news about a major Latino figure at a time of community strife over challenges that include immigration raids.
From Los Angeles Times
For nearly 14 years, I’ve returned to this contemplative missive through every bump in the occupational road or moment of professional strife.
From Salon
The movement struggled in more recent decades amid internal strife and economic downturns.
From Los Angeles Times
Prudence chose the former, and the rest chose strife.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.