- present participle of strive.
striving
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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
Etymology
Origin of striving
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Organic children’s food startup Once Upon a Farm, co-founded by actress Jennifer Garner and a veteran food executive, is striving to retain consumer trust following a voluntary recall of one of its products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
At a time when he thinks standards have been slipping though, striving for a classic is more important than ever.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
That would blow past the historic goal agreed in Paris: keeping warming well below 2C while striving for a safer 1.5C.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
It is striving to begin delivering vehicles to European customers by the end of 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Dr. King, I whispered, who will help us keep striving for your dream—our dream—of Birmingham’s black and white children walking hand in hand?
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
