strive
Americanverb (used without object)
-
strives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
strived,
past participle, past
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strove,
past
-
striven,
past participle
-
striving
present participle
-
to exert oneself vigorously; try hard.
He strove to make himself understood.
-
to make strenuous efforts toward any goal.
to strive for success.
- Synonyms:
- toil
-
to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.
-
to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance.
to strive against fate.
-
to rival; vie.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to make a great and tenacious effort
to strive to get promotion
-
(intr) to fight; contend
Synonym Usage
See try.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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strivernoun
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outstriveverb (used with object)
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interstriveverb (used without object)
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overstriveverb (used without object)
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restriveverb (used without object)
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
strivesimple
-
strivessimple
-
have strivedperfect
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have strivenperfect
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has strivedperfect
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has strivenperfect
-
am strivingprogressive
-
are strivingprogressive
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is strivingprogressive
-
have been strivingperfect progressive
-
has been strivingperfect progressive
Past
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strivedsimple
-
strovesimple
-
had strivedperfect
-
had strivenperfect
-
was strivingprogressive
-
were strivingprogressive
-
had been strivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of strive
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English striven from Old French estriver “to quarrel, compete, strive” from Germanic; compare obsolete Dutch strijven, German streben “to strive”
Explanation
To strive is to endeavor, reach, or strain for something above or beyond. We strive for self-improvement, a better world, or success in general. The Old French origin of this word, estriver ("quarrel," "dispute"), had its 800th birthday not too long ago. Though it shares its roots with strife ("conflict"), it changed over the years (centuries, actually) to describe something more like a conflict with oneself, the attempt to overcome limitations and stay focused on a goal, regardless of whatever quarrels or disputes come up.
Vocabulary lists containing strive
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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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.
See Examples For:
“Everyone has their own thing ... we complement each other. We just push each other to strive for greatness.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
He said he, along with Mette-Marit and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, would "always strive to understand the life situations of different people".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
“We strive to set the highest standards for pay and we require that all supply chain partners adhere to our code of conduct. Furthermore, Shein works with auditors to ensure compliance,” the company said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
As AI becomes increasingly influential, journalism should strive for the same precision in describing these systems that it applies to reporting on medicine, economics or the law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
After my grandmother told me why we should strive to be like the moon, I took it upon myself to closely observe it.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
She said the company strives to have a strong maintenance and inspection program and still was performing post-fire examinations and testing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Mr. Moral strives for objectivity, but he does attack Spoto’s character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Those who know him well - or covered his playing career for many years - will describe him as a curious person who strives to do everything to the best of his ability.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
World football's governing body FIFA, responding to a question from AFP, said it "is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and strives to promote the protection of these rights."
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
The alpha male strives to maintain social harmony within his troop.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
"Pakistan has always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region, but at the same time the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority," he wrote on X.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Gellar also praised their fans for allowing them to enjoy a very private life at home with their children, noting that they have always strived to keep their more intimate family life behind closed doors.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
World Rugby, the WRU and the RFU previously said that they "constantly strived to safeguard" future, current and former players.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
“I have always strived to adhere to company policies and provide the very best service to my clients,” he said in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
She considered herself a passionate observer who strived to understand the wonders God had created.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
A headline in the Los Angeles Times strove to be diplomatic—or at least deliver the shiv elegantly: “Paramount settlement is less than desired, more than nothing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Both Haig and Maras strove to be as historically accurate as possible, even including archival footage from the war.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
SKW posted losses three years in a row as the country strove to wean itself off cheap Russian energy supplies.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
The City of Bulawayo, led by mayor David Coltart, said Mr Moyo would be remembered as an "iconic leader ... and creative" who "strove to champion the arts" in the city and beyond.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025
Hazel turned one of the stink bugs over with the toe of his wet tennis shoe and the shining black beetle strove madly with floundering legs to get upright again.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
He has striven to place Cohere as a sovereign alternative in both the European and Asian markets.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Good fellowship was, if not assumed, then striven for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
Sanders stressed that his office has striven to improve its crisis response by incorporating mental health co-responders, adding that dashboard and body-worn cameras help provide transparency.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 3, 2024
Emily — brash, naïve, and clad in metallic blue knee-high boots — held up an uncomfortable mirror of everything she had striven not to be.
From New York Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
Whereas Sirius had sought to advertise his difference from the rest of the family, Regulus had striven to emphasize the opposite.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
“It’s about striving for perfection, which, of course, is impossible. But that doesn’t mean you can’t reach for it,” says Ian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
In striving for competitive advantage, recognize that, to paraphrase the Red Queen from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” it may take you all the running to just stay in the same place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Millennial television’s leads are also constantly striving to hit adult milestones, established either by their elders or their own anxious minds.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Among other things, he said the organisation was striving to better protect motorcycle taxi drivers who transport patients, and integrate them into the surveillance system.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
She let her hand he listlessly, as though her thoughts were elsewhere— somewhere in advance of her body, and she was striving to overtake them.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
