strive
Americanverb (used without object)
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strives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
strived,
past participle, past
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strove,
past
-
striven,
past participle
-
striving
present participle
-
to exert oneself vigorously; try hard.
He strove to make himself understood.
-
to make strenuous efforts toward any goal.
to strive for success.
- Synonyms:
- toil
-
to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.
-
to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance.
to strive against fate.
-
to rival; vie.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to make a great and tenacious effort
to strive to get promotion
-
(intr) to fight; contend
Synonym Usage
See try.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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strivernoun
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outstriveverb (used with object)
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interstriveverb (used without object)
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overstriveverb (used without object)
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restriveverb (used without object)
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
strivesimple
-
strivessimple
-
have strivedperfect
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have strivenperfect
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has strivedperfect
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has strivenperfect
-
am strivingprogressive
-
are strivingprogressive
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is strivingprogressive
-
have been strivingperfect progressive
-
has been strivingperfect progressive
Past
-
strivedsimple
-
strovesimple
-
had strivedperfect
-
had strivenperfect
-
was strivingprogressive
-
were strivingprogressive
-
had been strivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of strive
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English striven from Old French estriver “to quarrel, compete, strive” from Germanic; compare obsolete Dutch strijven, German streben “to strive”
Explanation
To strive is to endeavor, reach, or strain for something above or beyond. We strive for self-improvement, a better world, or success in general. The Old French origin of this word, estriver ("quarrel," "dispute"), had its 800th birthday not too long ago. Though it shares its roots with strife ("conflict"), it changed over the years (centuries, actually) to describe something more like a conflict with oneself, the attempt to overcome limitations and stay focused on a goal, regardless of whatever quarrels or disputes come up.
Vocabulary lists containing strive
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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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:
“We create opportunities for those who strive for more,” says its website, which is full of motivational slogans and reveals nothing about what Beezone actually does.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Perlis, an artist, radio host and Marin native, doesn’t strive for sociological or demographic explanations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
He said he, along with Mette-Marit and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, would "always strive to understand the life situations of different people".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
“We strive to set the highest standards for pay and we require that all supply chain partners adhere to our code of conduct. Furthermore, Shein works with auditors to ensure compliance,” the company said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
It was always good practice, she’d reasoned, to strive for such things.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
When the Strait of Hormuz is closed, some of the global energy supply that passes through it is redirected to Bab al-Mandab, a roughly 20-mile-wide strait the Yemeni government strives to protect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
She said the company strives to have a strong maintenance and inspection program and still was performing post-fire examinations and testing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
World football's governing body FIFA, responding to a question from AFP, said it "is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and strives to promote the protection of these rights."
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
"He wants us to be better, and that's exactly what I, my family, and I hope every single other person here strives to do every single day - make this world a better place."
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
“A town that strives to make such a good first impression must surely be a friendly place,” she thought.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
"Pakistan has always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region, but at the same time the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority," he wrote on X.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Gellar also praised their fans for allowing them to enjoy a very private life at home with their children, noting that they have always strived to keep their more intimate family life behind closed doors.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
The disintegration of Willy’s mind reflects its cause, the disintegration of the family for which he has strived and sold himself—and his tattered, tarnished soul—for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
In a statement, Hampshire county council said it "strived to deliver the best for all children within our educational settings".
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
She strived to maintain a link with outside reform work to avoid being “wholly absorbed in a narrow family selfishness.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Both Haig and Maras strove to be as historically accurate as possible, even including archival footage from the war.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
SKW posted losses three years in a row as the country strove to wean itself off cheap Russian energy supplies.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
Sargeant over the years strove to convince U.S. policymakers that the best way to ensure energy security, stem the outflow of migrants and curb China was by working with Venezuelan authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
There were some carers who strove to make the lives of residents better and who managed to carve out time in their busy days to engage but those moments were few and far between.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025
They strove with their voices, feeling themselves to be under a black wing.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
He has striven to place Cohere as a sovereign alternative in both the European and Asian markets.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Good fellowship was, if not assumed, then striven for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
Under authoritarian leader and ardent nationalist Xi Jinping, the government has striven to assert China’s power in international affairs, including through culture and language.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
While California lawmakers have striven to balance the need to support the cryptocurrency industry and protect consumers, recent legislation has hewed toward tighter state regulation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2023
His lordship has always striven to aid better understanding between nations.'
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
“And I actually admire those types of people who can just keep pushing forward and shut the noise out and just keep going and striving towards a purpose while operating from a place of purpose.”
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Among other things, he said the organisation was striving to better protect motorcycle taxi drivers who transport patients, and integrate them into the surveillance system.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Mostly, though, she just wants to keep doing what she’s been striving for since we were kids — “I want, when you watch me, for you to feel like you’ve seen something magic happen.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Young families are striving to do better but struggling with costs of living, including expensive childcare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Six other soldiers from different countries wrestled with different parts of him, striving to help him and hold him still.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
