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.
The book he writes about Lalo develops his thesis that Creole culture embodies the “collective spirit” needed to heal a country riven by racial division and civil strife.
By the 1440s, this English system was outmatched by a reformed French army funded by direct state taxation, itself a consequence of the persistent strife that enhanced royal power by reducing regional differences.
He was instrumental in resolving Hollywood’s bitter year of labor strife by negotiating truces with the Writers Guild of America and performers’ union, SAG-AFTRA, in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times
Paulo also kept an eye out for unexpected stories revealing Brazil's social strife.
At the same time, Niccol is contending with labor strife that is causing some stores to close for stretches.
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.
