strive
Americanverb (used without object)
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to exert oneself vigorously; try hard.
He strove to make himself understood.
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to make strenuous efforts toward any goal.
to strive for success.
- Synonyms:
- toil
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to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.
-
to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance.
to strive against fate.
-
to rival; vie.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to make a great and tenacious effort
to strive to get promotion
-
(intr) to fight; contend
Related Words
See try.
Other Word Forms
- interstrive verb (used without object)
- outstrive verb (used with object)
- overstrive verb (used without object)
- restrive verb (used without object)
- striver noun
Etymology
Origin of strive
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English striven from Old French estriver “to quarrel, compete, strive” from Germanic; compare obsolete Dutch strijven, German streben “to 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.
Silverblatt said he strove to read an author’s entire body of work, but he never claimed to have read it all if he hadn’t.
From Los Angeles Times
This cozily claustrophobic home is located in Boston’s historic Beacon Hill district in the period before they had children and were striving anxiously to realize their early promise.
From Los Angeles Times
The most recent allocation was for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics,” according to the budget.
Music is key to Salieri’s world, and the sound design by Jane Shaw strives to access the otherworldly power of Mozart’s music through layered backing tracks.
From Los Angeles Times
Chronert says this sets the market up for much more idiosyncratic behavior as investors strive to distinguish between companies most impacted by AI and those that may maintain a competitive edge.
From MarketWatch
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.
