struggle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
struggles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
struggled,
past participle, past
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struggling
present participle
-
to contend with an adversary or opposing force.
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to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.; strive.
to struggle for existence.
-
to advance with violent effort.
to struggle through the snow.
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(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.
verb (used with object)
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struggles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
struggled,
past participle, past
-
struggling
present participle
-
to bring, put, etc., by struggling.
She struggled the heavy box into a corner.
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to make (one's way) with violent effort.
verb
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(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
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(intr) to move about strenuously so as to escape from something confining
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(intr) to contend, battle, or fight
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(intr) to go or progress with difficulty
noun
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a laboured or strenuous exertion or effort
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a fight or battle
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the act of struggling
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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strugglesimple
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strugglessimple
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have struggledperfect
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has struggledperfect
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am strugglingprogressive
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are strugglingprogressive
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is strugglingprogressive
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have been strugglingperfect progressive
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has been strugglingperfect progressive
Past
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struggledsimple
-
had struggledperfect
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was strugglingprogressive
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were strugglingprogressive
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had been strugglingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing struggle
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myPerspectives 7.1
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
People with the disorder may develop seizures, lose previously acquired developmental abilities, experience increasing difficulty walking or moving, and struggle with speaking or swallowing.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Even as some American manufacturers have benefited as their foreign competitors encounter higher barriers, others struggle with ballooning costs and persistent uncertainty.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
The Fox NFL Sunday co-host and Hall of Fame quarterback met with the Los Angeles Times recently to discuss his new book, “Looking for Terry,” which delves into divorce and his struggle with depression.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
He knows what it is like to watch United struggle at Old Trafford.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Even as Bobby was waging a secondary battle against cameras in Reykjavik, cameras in New York were televising his epic struggle on the board.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, praised the work but acknowledged supply-chain struggles in early September comments published by news outlets linked to the Revolutionary Guard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The BOA is far from the only organisation dealing with excess kit – elite sport in general struggles with kit wastage.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Before his incarceration, Magaña managed to keep his mental health struggles mostly contained with medication for years, Alejandra said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, 69, a grandfather from India who struggles with English, said he didn’t understand he was registering to vote when he checked a box on his Texas driver’s license application two years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
On one side, a group of black men struggles to put up the sideshow banners.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
When stocks linked to the booming artificial-intelligence trade have struggled, so-called “non-AI” stocks have ridden to the rescue, and vice versa.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Although lipids are fundamental to brain function, scientists have struggled to map where different types are located.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
The Dodgers’ stars have struggled against the confident Milwaukee Brewers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
In college, he struggled to fit in with overachieving classmates at a top university in Beijing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
As Sarah held hands in the circle, a child’s legs struggled to climb up.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Firms that have already been struggling are bracing for conditions to get even worse with interest rates climbing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Poundland has been struggling for a number of years due to pressures including rising costs and competition.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
“They are bookends of the economy and AI is leading the way, but housing is struggling to keep up.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Feeling overwhelmed by stress or struggling to adjust when things go wrong?
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Welchman stood, struggling a bit to get out of the chair.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
