struggle

American  

[struhg-uhl] / ˈstrʌg əl /

verb (used without object)

struggled, struggling

1. to contend with an adversary or opposing force.

   Synonyms:

   conflict, fight, contest, oppose

2. to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.; strive.

   to struggle for existence.

3. to advance with violent effort.

   to struggle through the snow.

4. (of athletes and competitors) to be coping with inability to perform well or to win; contend with difficulty.

   After struggling for the whole month of June, he suddenly caught fire and raised his batting average 30 points.

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verb (used with object)

struggled, struggling

1. to bring, put, etc., by struggling.

   She struggled the heavy box into a corner.

2. to make (one's way) with violent effort.

noun

1. the process or an act or instance of struggling.

   Synonyms:

   exertion, endeavor

2. a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind.

   Synonyms:

   skirmish, encounter

3. a task or goal requiring much effort to accomplish or achieve.

struggle British  

/ ˈstrʌɡəl /

verb

1. (intr; usually foll by for or against; may take an infinitive) to exert strength, energy, and force; work or strive

   to struggle to obtain freedom

2. (intr) to move about strenuously so as to escape from something confining

3. (intr) to contend, battle, or fight

4. (intr) to go or progress with difficulty

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noun

1. a laboured or strenuous exertion or effort

2. a fight or battle

3. the act of struggling

4. the radical and armed opposition to apartheid, especially by the military wings of the ANC and the PAC

Usage

What are other ways to say struggle?

A struggle is a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind. How does struggle compare to brush and clash? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• prestruggle
  noun
• struggler
  noun
• struggling
  adjective
• strugglingly
  adverb
• unstruggling
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of struggle

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English struglen, stroglen, frequentative verb ( see -le) formed on a base of obscure origin

Explanation

Something that can only be accomplished with great effort is said to be a struggle. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader in the Civil Rights struggle. Alice Paul was a leader in the struggle for a woman's right to vote. The verb form of struggle can be used for physical or mental effort. A police officer might struggle trying to detain a criminal or a student may struggle with a difficult algebra problem. If you scramble and climb awkwardly up something, you can also use the verb struggle to describe the action: "They struggled up the icy hill over and over again, so they could keep sledding."

Example Sentences

San Marino, Georgia and Belgium could struggle to go through, according to bookmakers.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

These struggle sessions, to borrow a phrase, lead students to learn less—particularly students for whom math does not come naturally—and persuade them they’re bad at it.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

The Dodgers once again struggle to generate consistent offense and their bullpen implodes in a 9-3 loss to the rival San Francisco Giants.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

It’s a common headache during the NBA playoffs this year: You sit down to watch the game but struggle to figure out where to tune in.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

As the hard frosts grew less reliable, the planes continued to struggle to take off out of the mud.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• attempt
• battle
• clash
• combat
• conflict
• contest
• effort
• encounter
• endeavor
• skirmish
• strife
• trial
• work