struggle

verb

strug·gle | \ ˈstrə-gəl

struggled; struggling\ ˈstrə-g(ə-)liŋ

Definition of struggle

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition struggling with the problem

2 : to proceed with difficulty or with great effort struggled through the high grass struggling to make a living

struggle

noun

Definition of struggle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : contest, strife armed struggle a power struggle

2 : a violent effort or exertion : an act of strongly motivated striving a struggle to make ends meet

3 : tussle sense 1 during the struggle the gun went off

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Synonyms for struggle

Synonyms: Verb

blunder, bumble, flog [British], flounder, limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge

Synonyms: Noun

battle, fight, fray, scrabble, throes

Examples of struggle in a Sentence

Verb

He has been struggling with the problem of how to keep good workers from leaving. They struggled for the right to vote. She struggled up the hill through the snow. She struggled to lift the package by herself, but it was too heavy. He struggled to get free of the wreckage. He's been struggling in math class for most of the year. The team has continued to struggle in recent weeks. He was living as a struggling artist in the city.

Noun

the struggle for civil rights There was a struggle for the gun. There was no sign of a struggle. It was a struggle getting out of bed this morning.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For the uninitiated, Turtles All the Way Down tells the story of 16-year-old Aza, who struggles with OCD. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Hannah Marks to Direct Film Adaptation of John Green's "Turtles All the Way Down"," 13 Jan. 2019 China approved the company’s new herbicide-resistant soybean, the WSJ’s Jacob Bunge reports, opening new markets for American farmers who are struggling to control hard-to-kill weeds. — Erica E. Phillips, WSJ, "Today’s Logistics Report: Shoppers Skip the Mall; Trade War Disrupts; Huawei Exports Blocked," 11 Jan. 2019 On the other hand, those who struggled, simply didn't work hard enough. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "What is Capitalism?," 7 Jan. 2019 Kérastase offers a Fusio Dose Densifique treatment at its salons, specifically designed for women who struggle with fine hair but still want to keep hair healthy. — Amy Marturana, SELF, "17 Styling Tricks Women with Fine, Flat Hair Need to Know," 21 Dec. 2018 Ultimately, though, Mattis’s tumultuous time paints a picture of a sharp mind and defender of America’s traditional role in the world who struggled to agree with his boss on matters of life and death. — Alex Ward, Vox, "James Mattis, the last “adult” in the Trump administration, resigns as defense secretary," 20 Dec. 2018 The glass is one of Skvarla and Conrad's personal favorites, made in Mexico by artisans with physical disabilities who have struggled to get jobs elsewhere due to discrimination. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "Lauren Conrad And Hannah Skvarla Of The Little Market Are Changing The World," 11 Dec. 2018 So Giselle quit her job as an assistant property manager to homeschool Brooklyn, who struggled with ADHD, using an online curriculum that prioritized her daughter’s preference for visual learning. — Shelley Levitt, Woman's Day, "These 4 Inspirational Women Went to Great Lengths for Their Kids," 4 Dec. 2018 The Baltic Express flew near Soviet airspace on a weekly basis, taunting the USSR’s best pilots who struggled in vain to intercept it. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Swedish Pilots Win Medals for Top Secret 1987 SR-71 Incident," 29 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That's part of the message that James Middleton, brother of literal royal Kate Middleton, aims to get across in his new raw, emotional essay about his own struggles with depression. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kate Middleton's Brother, James, Opens Up About His Struggles With Depression in an Emotional New Essay," 12 Jan. 2019 William invites him back to his place for a real meal and an honest conversation about his struggles with addiction. — Candice Frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Is Us Season 3 Episode 8: Miguel Claps Back," 21 Nov. 2018 Lovato has previously opened up about her struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Demi Lovato’s ex Wilmer Valderrama is reportedly ‘shocked’ as ex Joe Jonas asks fans for prayers," 2 Oct. 2018 Riverdale star Lili Reinhart has never been shy about her struggle with acne. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Lili Reinhart Shows Acne Scars in New Selfie and Looks Amazing," 20 Aug. 2018 Akwesasne, a Native-American community of 12,000 nestled between America and Canada, faces a similar struggle. — The Economist, "Not all borders make sense. But changing them is dangerous," 12 July 2018 Ron Ward talks about his struggle with HIV and his mission now to help others. — Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "Living with HIV: Fueled by heroin, HIV makes an alarming resurgence in Cincinnati," 11 July 2018 For Democrats facing an uphill struggle to block Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation, his protective views of the presidency could prove to be a bright red ribbon. — New York Times, "Democrats Zero In on Kavanaugh’s Defense of Presidential Power," 11 July 2018 Halsey preached self-love and sang about her struggles with mental health issues. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With new songs, Shawn Mendes makes a mighty impression at Summerfest in Milwaukee," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'struggle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near struggle

struggle for existence

struggle on

Struldbrug

Statistics for struggle

Last Updated

17 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for struggle

The first known use of struggle was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for struggle

struggle

verb

English Language Learners Definition of struggle

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to try very hard to do, achieve, or deal with something that is difficult or that causes problems

: to move with difficulty or with great effort

: to try to move yourself, an object, etc., by making a lot of effort

struggle

noun

English Language Learners Definition of struggle (Entry 2 of 2)

: a long effort to do, achieve, or deal with something that is difficult or that causes problems

: a physical fight between usually two people

: something that is difficult to do or achieve

See the full definition for struggle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

struggle

verb

strug·gle | \ ˈstrə-gəl

struggled; struggling

Kids Definition of struggle

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to make a great effort to do or achieve something or to overcome someone or something I struggled with the burglar. We're struggling with money problems.

2 : to move with difficulty or with great effort A woman struggled through the snow.