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 struggling

cope, try, toil, tackle, seek, strive, contend, grapple, compete, plug, assay, offer, scratch, dig, slave, grind, strain, hassle, sweat, undertake

Examples from the Web for struggling

Contemporary Examples of struggling

There are instances in which private rehoming works out fine and is the best solution for the struggling family and the children.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking
Tina Traster
December 30, 2014
Some longtime local acquaintances are struggling to square the man they know with the ugly associations.
No. 3 Republican Admits Talking to White Supremacist Conference
Tim Mak
December 30, 2014
Parker tells of a new Texas struggling to deal with inequality.
Will Texas Stay Texan?
David Fontana
December 29, 2014
Parker tells of a new Texas struggling to deal with diversity.
Will Texas Stay Texan?
David Fontana
December 29, 2014
When everyone is struggling, how much is to be offered to the more destitute, and how much is to be accepted?
This Week’s Hot Reads: December 22, 2014
Mythili Rao
December 22, 2014

Historical Examples of struggling

“Vex not thyself,” said the old dame, as she saw him struggling with his sobs.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
As long as you were poor and struggling, Marian was welcome to you.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
The Little Doctor was struggling with the lump in her throat that he should try to joke about it.
Chip, of the Flying U
B. M. Bower
It was as if some mighty pent force were struggling for release.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
There Bob enveloped him in his arms, struggling and kicking, and put him on the horse.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic

British Dictionary definitions for struggling

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 struggling

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.).