strive
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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)
-
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
-
have strivenperfect
-
has strivedperfect
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has strivenperfect
-
am strivingprogressive
-
are strivingprogressive
-
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:
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
Posting on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said: "We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed."
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
The play follows the pair of brothers as they strive for success in the theatrical world amid William Shakespeare’s unstoppable rise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
But let me not hate and despise myself too much for these feelings; I know them to be wrong—that is a great step gained; I shall strive to overcome them.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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
Those who know him well - or covered his playing career for many years - will describe him as a curious person who strives to do everything to the best of his ability.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 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
A promise for what this country strives to stand for.
From Slate ● 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
"Family, faith and doing good in the community where we live and work" have been key commitments that Parton and her partners have strived for over the past four decades, he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 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
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
Musicians strived to create music that was different and to stand out at talent contests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
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
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
Less attention has been paid to the ways in which enslaved people strove for emancipation through acts of resistance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
The City of Bulawayo, led by mayor David Coltart, said Mr Moyo would be remembered as an "iconic leader ... and creative" who "strove to champion the arts" in the city and beyond.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025
Hodge calls the Cornell-educated actor “a genius” and says she strove to pull Riri’s dialogue up to the level of Thorne’s intellect, rather than the other way around.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025
He strove to find it and then it came of itself.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Europeans have striven this year to maintain U.S. backing for Ukraine—or at least blunt a reduction in U.S. support.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025
Where "Call of Duty" focuses on tighter, smaller skirmishes, Battlefield has always striven to create a more epic canvas.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
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
“Memorial” does for Lin’s legacy what she has striven to do in her work — invite people to consider uncomfortable truths.
From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2023
I know only that I wished to recount it, and to speak of those whom I have known and who have striven for virtue and have perished.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Millennial television’s leads are also constantly striving to hit adult milestones, established either by their elders or their own anxious minds.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Meanwhile, Wallis’ Angie is simply a resourceful single mother striving to get home to her 6-year-old daughter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The former song is a prog-rock instrumental, while the latter is a yearning piece about striving for success: “I’ve got to keep on chasin’ a dream / I’ve gotta be on my way.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
In fact, Americans of all ages, backgrounds and incomes are striving for a better life, but say the rising cost of living prevents them from their aspirations, the researchers found.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
I kept silent, striving to offer no excuse for worsening of relations.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
