strife

[strahyf]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR strife ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism: to be at strife.

a quarrel, struggle, or clash: armed strife.

competition or rivalry: the strife of the marketplace.

Archaic. strenuous effort.

Origin of strife

1175–1225; Middle English strif < Old French estrif, akin to estriver to strive

Related formsstrife·ful, adjectivestrife·less, adjectiveun·der·strife, noun

Synonyms for strife

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR strife ON THESAURUS.COM

1. difference, disagreement, contrariety, opposition. 2. fight, conflict.

Antonyms for strife

1, 2. peace.

strive

[strahyv]

verb (used without object), strove or strived, striv·en [striv-uh n] /ˈstrɪv ən/ or strived, striv·ing.

to exert oneself vigorously; try hard: He strove to make himself understood.

to make strenuous efforts toward any goal: to strive for success.

to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.

to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance: to strive against fate.

to rival; vie.

Origin of strive

1175–1225; Middle English striven < Old French estriver to quarrel, compete, strive < Germanic; compare obsolete Dutch strijven, German streben to strive

Related formsstriv·er, nounstriv·ing·ly, adverbin·ter·strive, verb (used without object), in·ter·strove, in·ter·striv·en, in·ter·striv·ing.out·strive, verb (used with object), out·strove, out·striv·en, out·striv·ing.o·ver·strive, verb (used without object), o·ver·strove, o·ver·striv·en, o·ver·striv·ing.re·strive, verb (used without object), re·strove, re·striv·en, re·striv·ing.un·striv·ing, adjective

Synonyms for strive

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR strive ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See try. 2. toil. 3. struggle, fight.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for strives

squabble, warfare, clash, discord, disunity, disagreement, fighting, dissension, quarrel, wrangle, friction, animosity, controversy, rivalry, conflict, dispute, wrangling, bickering, tackle, aim

Examples from the Web for strives

Contemporary Examples of strives

Carles told me that MormonThink strives to be objective and impartial.
God vs. the Internet. And the Winner is…
Michael Schulson
November 16, 2014
As for Yasin, he strives to make sure some of his halal meat comes from his own hands.
Inside The Growing Organic Halal Movement
Sharon Adarlo
September 7, 2014
Afraid to lose her account over a simple shot of short shorts, Cindy strives to follow the invisible rules for adult entertainers.
Porn Stars Want to Know: Why Did Facebook Delete Me?
Aurora Snow
August 2, 2014
The more pop our culture gets, the more rock he strives to be.
Is Jack White the Last True Rock Star?
Andrew Romano
June 13, 2014
Satisfied, but not content, Gold strives to live up to her surname, as well as stamp it on the long list of American greats.
Figure Skater Gracie Gold Is America’s Darling in Sochi
Kevin Fixler
February 19, 2014

Historical Examples of strives

It strives to seal forever the fate of those it has enslaved.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
Nowadays, when one strives to penetrate things one is confounded.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
The soul believes it, and this is the goal she strives for both now and hereafter.
The Prodigal Returns
Lilian Staveley
Nor is it that he ignores the past, Lucy, or strives to forget it,—far from that.
Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Volume I.
Charles James Lever
He knows how you feel: that is why he strives to keep you apart.
Up the Forked River
Edward Sylvester Ellis

British Dictionary definitions for strives

strife

noun

angry or violent struggle; conflict

rivalry or contention, esp of a bitter kind

Australian and NZ trouble or discord of any kindto get into strife

archaic striving

Word Origin for strife

C13: from Old French estrif, probably from estriver to strive

strive

verb strives, striving, strove or striven (ˈstrɪvən)

(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to make a great and tenacious effortto strive to get promotion

(intr) to fight; contend

Derived Formsstriver, noun

Word Origin for strive

C13: from Old French estriver, of Germanic origin; related to Middle High German streben to strive, Old Norse strītha to fight

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for strives

strife

early 13c., from Old French estrif, variant of estrit "quarrel, dispute, impetuosity," probably from Frankish *strid, from Proto-Germanic *strido- "strife, combat" (cf. Old High German strit "quarrel, dispute"), related to Old High German stritan "to fight;" see stride.

strive

c.1200, from Old French estriver "to quarrel, dispute," from estrif, estrit "quarrel" (see strife). It became a strong verb (past tense strove) by rhyming association with drive, etc.