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
Etymology
Origin of strife
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English strif, from Old French estrif, akin to estriver; see strive
Explanation
Strife is the act or state of fighting or arguing violently. The years leading up to the U.S. Civil War were characterized by great strife between northern and southern states over slavery and the role of a federal government. This word applies to major issues and events, such as war and religious conflict: a period of civil strife. Like its Old French source, the original meaning of the English noun strife and the English verb strive had to do with an argument or quarrel. But the verb strive has lost that earlier sense, and now means to try hard to do or achieve something.
Vocabulary lists containing strife
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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.
From historical tax protests such as Shays’s Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion in the 18th century to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, civil strife has continually tested American institutions and left them standing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Liam McDonald said people did not want to see any more "trouble or strife"
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Our job is to be like Sheen—to wade through the strife with courage, clarity and heartfelt concern for the souls entrusted to our care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
But to access this lucidity — the answer to all strife from Christ to “Chronovisor” — you must pay close attention.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
After six hundred years of their own strife and a few centuries of Portuguese villainy, the warring tribes of Angola had finally agreed to a peace plan.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
