struggle
Americanverb (used without object)
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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.
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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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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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have struggledperfect
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has struggledperfect 3rd person singular
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has been strugglingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is strugglingprogressive 3rd person singular
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strugglessingular 3rd person
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have been strugglingperfect progressive
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are strugglingprogressive
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am strugglingprogressive 1st person singular
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strugglingparticiple
Past
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had struggledperfect
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was strugglingprogressive singular
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were strugglingprogressive plural
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struggledsimple
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had been strugglingperfect progressive
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struggledparticiple
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
Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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Beowulf vocabulary
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myPerspectives 7.1
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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.
The choice is watching grandchildren struggle for 30 years then inheriting money when it matters least, or strategic funding now that may compound into generational wealth.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Scandalous as that sounds, there’s actually something less supernatural and more terrestrial playing out here: a power struggle between the Catholic Church and influencer priests who’ve successfully harnessed the internet’s algorithms.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
Plane-based Wi-Fi is typically a struggle, with dead zones and slow service, depending on how many people are willing to fork over a few dollars to work during a flight.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
The destruction in Koreatown and the experience of watching Korean American business owners struggle in its aftermath helped shape her later work in community advocacy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
He watched his father struggle with overwhelming guilt.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by 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.
