struggle

play

verb strug·gle \ ˈstrə-gəl \

Definition of struggle

struggled; struggling play \-g(ə-)liŋ\

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

—

struggler

play \-g(ə-)lər\ noun

See struggle defined for English-language learners

See struggle defined for kids

Examples of struggle in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of struggle from the Web

Law enforcement officials close to the investigation described Scott as a loner, saying detectives had struggled to find many people who knew the 22-year-old well.

— glenn e. rice, ian cummings, joe robertson and toriano porter, kansascity, "‘Kill all white people’: Suspect in killings of five white men made threat in 2014," 30 Aug. 2017
Outlook: Last year's Patriots struggled with finding the back of the net and controlling the possession of the game.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "2017 girls soccer preview," 30 Aug. 2017
The funding will inject capital into a company that has been struggling to compete in the world of messaging, which is dominated by tech titan Facebook Inc. in most parts of the world.

— gerrit de vynck, Bloomberg.com, "Kik Plans to Raise $125 Million With Digital-Currency Sale," 29 Aug. 2017
Through a sister who has struggled with heroin dependence, Hanlon has experience with addiction.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "Brain-altering magnetic pulses could zap cocaine addiction," 29 Aug. 2017
The international community has struggled to find ways to end the conflict.

— sam mednick, chicagotribune.com, "American killed in civil war-torn South Sudan was 'caught in fighting,' army says," 26 Aug. 2017
The Spartans struggled in getting to the passer a year ago and will rebuild with the aid of a solid group of linebackers.

— joe juliano, Philly.com, "Big Ten football preview: Ohio State is the early favorite, but where does Penn State stand?," 25 Aug. 2017
His mother, Tivica Muhammad, told the Miami Herald that the men in her family, dating back to Brad’s great-grandfather, have struggled with drugs and alcohol.

— walter villa, miamiherald, "Dumped from team for oversleeping, FIU football player is back with scholarship," 24 Aug. 2017
Health systems and insurers may struggle to pay for the treatment, however, if the FDA approves it for wider use, Lichtenfeld said.

— liz szabo, Kaiser Health News, "‘Breakthrough’ Leukemia Drug Also Portends ‘Quantum Leap’ In Cost," 23 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of struggle

Middle English struglen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

struggle Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

jog, shamble, shuffle; wallow, welter; falter, lurch, reel, stagger, sway, teeter, totter; fumble, muddle

Near Antonyms

coast, fly, glide, kilt, sail, zip, zoom

struggle

noun

Definition of struggle

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 1

during the struggle the gun went off

See struggle defined for English-language learners

Examples of struggle in a Sentence

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 of struggle from the Web

But thanks to the careful eye of a veteran Associated Press photographer assigned to cover the storm, the world already knows the mother, child and officer as the faces of the struggle to deal with the devastation.

— Washington Post, "Photo of Harvey rescue spreads on internet, front pages," 29 Aug. 2017
Bringing King’s statue into reality took multiple struggles.

— jonathan landrum jr., The Seattle Times, "Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. unveiled in his hometown," 28 Aug. 2017
The accounts that are common for those inside and outside of prison are ones of living: the difficulties of communication, the struggle of overcoming loneliness, the sometimes devastating desire to belong.

— galen beebe, The Atlantic, "The Podcast Made From Inside Prison," 27 Aug. 2017
For most, the struggle is not a hangover from their own college days.

— gail marksjarvis, chicagotribune.com, "The fastest-growing category of student debtors may surprise you: Senior citizens," 24 Aug. 2017
But for a man like Bergé, nearing the end of his life, the struggle is not so much against time as against irrelevance.

— james mcauley, Town & Country, "Is Pierre Bergé the Most Powerful Man In France?," 16 Aug. 2017
Given Kesha’s very public and frustrating struggle to release new music and untangle herself from Dr. Luke, the song, like the rest of the album, feels especially poignant.

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "Kesha’s First Late-Night Comeback Performance Is a Gut-Wrenching Triumph," 11 Aug. 2017
The music world lost a legend on Tuesday when renowned country singer Glen Campbell died at 81-years-old after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

— kelly o'sullivan, Country Living, "Glen Campbell's Youngest Daughter Shares a Heartbreaking Message About His Death," 9 Aug. 2017
Like most years, the small-school Greendevils struggle with depth but have 12 seniors among their 36 players, including Chinn and Hundemer.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "Class 1A preview: Beechwood football plays for titles each year," 8 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of struggle

1560

struggle Synonyms

Synonyms

battle, fight, fray, scrabble, throes

Related Words

effort, exertion, labor, pains, trouble, work; drudgery, grind, sweat, toil, travail; combat, conflict, contest, strife, tussle, war, warfare; attempt, endeavor, essay, try

Near Antonyms

truce

STRUGGLE Defined for English Language Learners

struggle

play

verb

Definition of struggle for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of struggle for English Language Learners

: 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

STRUGGLE Defined for Kids

struggle

play

verb strug·gle \ ˈstrə-gəl \

Definition of struggle for Students

struggled; struggling

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.

struggle

noun

Definition of struggle for Students

1 :a difficult or violent effort

Though it was a struggle to lift my eyes, I did so.
—Avi, Crispin

2 :²fight 1, contest

Learn More about struggle

See words that rhyme with struggle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for struggle Spanish Central: Translation of struggle Nglish: Translation of struggle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of struggle for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up struggle? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

struggle

Definition of struggle

struggler

People Are Reading

Examples of struggle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of struggle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of struggle

struggle Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

struggle

Definition of struggle

Examples of struggle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of struggle from the Web

First Known Use of struggle

struggle Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to STRUGGLE

Related Phrases

STRUGGLE Defined for English Language Learners

struggle

Definition of struggle for English Language Learners

struggle

Definition of struggle for English Language Learners

STRUGGLE Defined for Kids

struggle

Definition of struggle for Students

struggle

Definition of struggle for Students

Learn More about struggle

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066