struggle

[struhg-uh l] /ˈstrʌg əl/
verb (used without object), struggled, struggling.
1.
to contend with an adversary or opposing force.
2.
to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.; strive:
to struggle for existence.
3.
to advance with violent effort:
to struggle through the snow.
4.
(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), struggled, struggling.
5.
to bring, put, etc., by struggling:
She struggled the heavy box into a corner.
6.
to make (one's way) with violent effort.
noun
7.
the process or an act or instance of struggling.
8.
a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind.
9.
a task or goal requiring much effort to accomplish or achieve.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English struglen, stroglen, frequentative v. (see -le) formed on a base of obscure origin
Related forms
struggler, noun
strugglingly, adverb
prestruggle, noun, verb (used without object), prestruggled, prestruggling.
unstruggling, adjective
Synonyms
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.
Examples from the web for struggle
  • She begins to struggle, kicking her legs, trying to fight to her feet-suddenly she's up.
  • What follows is an overview of the long and continued struggle to find the perfect lie detector.
  • We follow their progress and their battles as they struggle to understand how life works.
  • To fishermen, the chinook is known as a fighter, and likewise its advocates won't let the fish die out without a struggle.
  • But farmers and manufacturers struggle against cheap imports.
  • Six years later, as a result of a power struggle within the junta, he was released.
  • The region's profligate economies will struggle for longer as austerity kicks in.
  • The smallest hedge funds will struggle under these conditions.
  • But businesses in low-income countries still struggle with twice the burden of regulation as those in high-income countries.
  • Western economies will grow, but struggle with large deficits, heavy public debts and stubborn unemployment.
British Dictionary definitions for struggle

struggle

/ˈstrʌɡəl/
verb
1.
(intransitive; usually foll by for or against; may take an infinitive) to exert strength, energy, and force; work or strive: to struggle to obtain freedom
2.
(intransitive) to move about strenuously so as to escape from something confining
3.
(intransitive) to contend, battle, or fight
4.
(intransitive) to go or progress with difficulty
noun
5.
a laboured or strenuous exertion or effort
6.
a fight or battle
7.
the act of struggling
8.
(South African) the struggle, the radical and armed opposition to apartheid, especially by the military wings of the ANC and the PAC
Derived Forms
struggler, noun
struggling, adjective
strugglingly, adverb
Word Origin
C14: of obscure origin
Word Origin and History for struggle
v.

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.

n.

1690s, from struggle (v.).

Slang definitions & phrases for struggle

struggle

verb

To have difficulty winning or holding the pace; be in athletic travail: Mets struggling; Cardinals soaring/ Lendl Struggles to Win

Related Terms

bun-struggle

[1970s+ Sports; in the general sense ''strive despite difficulties,'' found by 1597]