striving

[strahy-ving]

noun

1. the act or practice of trying hard to do, reach, or achieve something; vigorous effort.

   In the striving for a just and lasting peace, ten agreements have already been reached by national and rebel forces.

2. the act of fighting or struggling against someone or something; competition, opposition, or battle.

   The pursuit of justice itself, or the striving against injustice, is a path to piety in Judaism.

adjective

1. trying hard; making a vigorous effort to do, reach, or achieve something.

   America is the striving immigrant who starts a business or the mom who works two low-wage jobs to give her kids a better life.

2. fighting or struggling against each other.

   Atonement aims at the unification of striving factions by making amends for whatever caused the trouble.

Other Word Forms

• strivingly adverb
• unstriving adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of striving¹

First recorded in 1225–75; striv(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; striv(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

In a video statement to the UN in New York, President Xi Jinping said that China would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 7-10% by 2035, while "striving to do better".

From BBC

"This award serves as motivation for us to continue striving for excellence," he added, as his colleagues attacked him with fake flies, before he revealed he was wearing a zebra-print shirt and they relented.

From BBC

Mostly, we’re too caught up in our own lives, through survival or striving, to think about what others think of our messy, vibrant, complicated city.

From Los Angeles Times

Redford will forever be a star fleeing his own magnetism, striving for substance.

From Los Angeles Times

The government has been striving to improve the UK's economic performance, which has been slow for some time.

From BBC