struggle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to contend with an adversary or opposing force.
-
to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.; strive.
to struggle for existence.
-
to advance with violent effort.
to struggle through the snow.
-
(of athletes and competitors) to be coping with inability to perform well or to win; contend with difficulty.
After struggling for the whole month of June, he suddenly caught fire and raised his batting average 30 points.
verb (used with object)
-
to bring, put, etc., by struggling.
She struggled the heavy box into a corner.
-
to make (one's way) with violent effort.
verb
-
(intr; usually foll by for or against; may take an infinitive) to exert strength, energy, and force; work or strive
to struggle to obtain freedom
-
(intr) to move about strenuously so as to escape from something confining
-
(intr) to contend, battle, or fight
-
(intr) to go or progress with difficulty
noun
-
a laboured or strenuous exertion or effort
-
a fight or battle
-
the act of struggling
-
the radical and armed opposition to apartheid, especially by the military wings of the ANC and the PAC
Usage
What are other ways to say struggle?
A struggle is a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind. How does struggle compare to brush and clash? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- prestruggle noun
- struggler noun
- struggling adjective
- strugglingly adverb
- unstruggling adjective
Etymology
Origin of struggle
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English struglen, stroglen, frequentative verb ( -le ) formed on a base of obscure origin
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.
Jonny's prediction: Scott Parker's teams seem to do incredibly well in the Championship, then struggle a bit when they get to the Premier League.
From BBC
His struggles were laid bare in a documentary released in the August 2022.
From BBC
"If any of those people are struggling and need accommodation, we have got hire boats that are laid up for the winter."
From BBC
The social supermarket opened in June 2024 to offer low-cost, good quality, fresh and healthy food to people in Reddish, Heaton Norris and Heaton Chapel who are struggling with the cost of their weekly groceries.
From BBC
“This case wasn’t won by lawyers; it was won by veterans like Rob and others who have struggled for decades,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
