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.

Nearby words

Origin of struggle

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

SYNONYMS FOR struggle

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.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR struggle ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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

Examples from the Web for struggled

Morris struggled to straighten his back, which involved stiffening a spine rarely used.
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Though researchers have struggled to understand exactly what contributes to this gender difference, Dr. Rohan has one hypothesis.
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But as a nutrition-obsessed senior at Brown University, he struggled to find a protein bar he actually liked.
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She struggled to concentrate on crossword puzzles and read books, so she just watched television.
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One male student told me about a teammate in a fraternity who struggled with an eating disorder.
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But I have wrestled with misfortune in vain; I have struggled with want, till want has overcome me.
Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II|Various
The wolf was a tenacious fellow, and he struggled desperately to rise.
The Camp in the Snow|William Murray Graydon
Squills was quite passive; he struggled no more—he was drowned.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 66, No. 408, January 1849|Various
Other children were thrown into rivers and those who could swim were shot down as they struggled in the water.
With Our Soldiers in France|Sherwood Eddy
Sarah looked confusedly about her, while she struggled out of bed.
When Sarah Went to School|Elsie Singmaster

British Dictionary definitions for struggled

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 struggled

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.

struggle

1690s, from struggle (v.).

struggle

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

verb (used with object), strug·gled, strug·gling.

noun

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Origin of struggle

Examples from the Web for struggled

struggle

verb

noun

Word Origin for struggle

struggle

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