struggle

[struhg-uhl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR struggle ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), strug·gled, strug·gling.

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), strug·gled, strug·gling.

to bring, put, etc., by struggling: She struggled the heavy box into a corner.

to make (one's way) with violent effort.

noun

the process or an act or instance of struggling.

a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind.

a task or goal requiring much effort to accomplish or achieve.

Origin of struggle

1350–1400; Middle English struglen, stroglen, frequentative v. (see -le) formed on a base of obscure origin

Related formsstrug·gler, nounstrug·gling·ly, adverbpre·strug·gle, noun, verb (used without object), pre·strug·gled, pre·strug·gling.un·strug·gling, adjective

Synonyms for struggle

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR struggle ON THESAURUS.COM

1. oppose, contest, fight, conflict. 7. endeavor, exertion. 8. encounter, skirmish. Struggle, brush, clash refer to a hostile meeting of opposing persons, parties, or forces. Struggle implies vigorous bodily effort or violent exertion: a hand-to-hand struggle. A brush is a brief, but smart, and often casual combat: a brush between patrols. Clash implies a direct and sharp collision between opposing parties, efforts, interests, etc.: a clash of opinions.

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

Related Words for struggle

trial, attempt, combat, clash, contest, work, strife, skirmish, encounter, battle, endeavor, effort, conflict, cope, try, toil, tackle, seek, strive, contend

Examples from the Web for struggle

Contemporary Examples of struggle

Then she managed to struggle a mile through dark, rainy woods.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods
James Higdon
January 7, 2015
But it turns out it was really about a woman's struggle to realize what actually makes her happy.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards
Kevin Fallon
December 29, 2014
In her struggle to find her daughter, Esther becomes one of the founders of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF
Jason Berry
December 21, 2014
Welcome to the daily struggle of every face you meet in Cuba.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind
Brin-Jonathan Butler
December 19, 2014
The struggle continues and Chan is punched, suffering a broken nose.
Protesters Slimed This Good Samaritan Cop
Michael Daly
December 16, 2014

Historical Examples of struggle

I have never seen the soul withdrawn without a struggle with the body.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
They are as animals grown in an environment that demands no struggle of them.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
I was once a poor boy myself, obliged to struggle for my living.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
The struggle to keep alive during the cold period was terrible.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
Beginning of the struggle between Indo-Europeans and Semites.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon

British Dictionary definitions for struggle

struggle

verb

(intr; usually foll by for or against; may take an infinitive) to exert strength, energy, and force; work or striveto 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 struggle Southern African the radical and armed opposition to apartheid, especially by the military wings of the ANC and the PAC

Derived Formsstruggler, nounstruggling, adjectivestrugglingly, adverb

Word Origin for struggle

C14: of obscure origin

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 struggle

late 14c., probably a frequentative form, of uncertain origin. Skeat suggests Old Norse strugr "ill will;" others suggest a connection to Dutch struikelen, German straucheln "to stumble." Related: Struggled; struggling.

1690s, from struggle (v.).