strife

noun

ˈstrīf 

1

a

: bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension

political strife

b

: an act of contention : fight, struggle

2

: exertion or contention for superiority

3

archaic : earnest endeavor

strifeless

ˈstrī-fləs 

adjective

Synonyms of strife

• discord
• friction
• conflict
• war
• discordance
• warfare
• schism
• dissent
• discordancy

Choose the Right Synonym for strife

discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony.

discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Examples of strife in a Sentence

in order to avoid family strife, the children spend equal time during the holidays with both of their grandmothers

bitter strife between the two political factions

Recent Examples on the Web

Much of this strife, including throughout the 1967-1970 civil war and subsequent clashes over the decades, has also been closely tied to feuds across ethnic and territorial lines. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025

Things kick off with a bit of inter-family strife, involving a young predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025

As a child, Baker found listening to the Royals and Matthews gave her peace when there was strife among the adults in her home. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025

But the house is also a benignly indifferent witness to the happiness and the strife that occur within its walls—and to the heartbreaking transience of human lives. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English strif, from Anglo-French estrif, estri, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch striden to fight, Old High German strītan to quarrel — more at stride

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for strife

• knife
• life
• rife
• wife
• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• loosestrife

Kids Definition

strife

noun

ˈstrīf 

1

: bitter sometimes violent disagreement

political strife

2

: struggle entry 2 sense 2, fight