struggle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
struggles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
struggled,
past participle, past
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struggling
present participle
-
to contend with an adversary or opposing force.
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to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.; strive.
to struggle for existence.
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to advance with violent effort.
to struggle through the snow.
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(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)
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struggles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
struggled,
past participle, past
-
struggling
present participle
-
to bring, put, etc., by struggling.
She struggled the heavy box into a corner.
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to make (one's way) with violent effort.
verb
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(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
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(intr) to move about strenuously so as to escape from something confining
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(intr) to contend, battle, or fight
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(intr) to go or progress with difficulty
noun
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a laboured or strenuous exertion or effort
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a fight or battle
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the act of struggling
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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strugglesimple
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strugglessimple
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have struggledperfect
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has struggledperfect
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am strugglingprogressive
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are strugglingprogressive
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is strugglingprogressive
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have been strugglingperfect progressive
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has been strugglingperfect progressive
Past
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struggledsimple
-
had struggledperfect
-
was strugglingprogressive
-
were strugglingprogressive
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had been strugglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of struggle
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English struglen, stroglen, frequentative verb ( see -le) formed on a base of obscure origin
Explanation
Something that can only be accomplished with great effort is said to be a struggle. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader in the Civil Rights struggle. Alice Paul was a leader in the struggle for a woman's right to vote. The verb form of struggle can be used for physical or mental effort. A police officer might struggle trying to detain a criminal or a student may struggle with a difficult algebra problem. If you scramble and climb awkwardly up something, you can also use the verb struggle to describe the action: "They struggled up the icy hill over and over again, so they could keep sledding."
Vocabulary lists containing struggle
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myPerspectives 7.1
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
"You can definitely see that happening but it's a long, uphill struggle," adds Sweetman.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
This is a play on a botched conjugation of the Spanish verb 'saber' -- to know -- and is used to indicate Latinos who struggle to speak the language of Miguel de Cervantes.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
Interim President Rodríguez and opposition leader Machado laid out competing visions, sounding the opening gun of a power struggle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
On days when the index’s “big generals” struggle, the index often does, too — even as investors appear to be shifting capital into other parts of the market.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
After an endless struggle, she hit a snow hill.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
"It's so many things, so many struggles that come together in this data centre," Geef Tegengas spokesman, Nathan Timmer, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
His struggles under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels are seen as a large factor in the Chargers’ unexpected 0-7 record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
When asked by Slate about Darline’s struggles before the race was called, Norman said via text he was “Not surprised AT ALL!”
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026
One brokerage said Oracle’s efforts to draw a line under its AI credit struggles at an investor event last week were not entirely convincing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
All the years Grandpa Dodzi had lived, the changes he’d seen, the struggles he’d overcome, his grit, his irrepressible humor—all lost to us and the world because his time had come.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Those are the words of Laura, 45, from Cheltenham, in Gloucestershire, who weeks after undergoing an emergency Caesarean section struggled so much with postnatal depression that she needed psychiatric care.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
He struggled with his fingers and even his teeth to unscrew the radio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Reports of unidentified Prionus larvae damaging blueberry roots date back to 2010, but researchers had struggled to determine which species was responsible.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Beyond the boilerplate, Joyner struggled to rationalize the breakup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Her income as a piano teacher couldn’t have been much; she probably struggled financially.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Dawn Fazackerley-King is struggling but says there's "no more fat to trim"
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Martha Stewart dressed as a person struggling with poverty for Halloween.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Germany's economy is struggling to pull itself out of long decline driven by weakening demand for its exports, Chinese competition and a range of deep-rooted problems.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
All-cash buyers are, paradoxically, becoming more common in a housing market that’s been struggling with affordability.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Enough with the door!” she said, struggling to hide her exasperation.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
