struggle

1 of 2

verb

strug·​gle ˈstrə-gəl How to pronounce struggle (audio)
struggled; struggling ˈstrə-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce struggle (audio)

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 noun

struggle

2 of 2

noun

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

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
Three years of strict pandemic controls, which ended at the beginning of 2023, and a real estate crash have drained local government coffers, leaving authorities across the country struggling with mountains of debt. Laura He, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The three-story, 5,000-square-foot facility uses programs that address the needs of at-risk children struggling with trauma, health and mental health problems. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 There is also news of standoffs between Texas law enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol agents and cities like New York and Chicago struggling to handle the influx of arriving migrants. Jean Lantz Reisz, The Conversation, 8 Mar. 2024 Systematically, Native students struggle with graduation and degree attainment. Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 Now the boy struggles to walk and is permanently injured, according to Morgan and Hackett. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The Trojans struggled with injuries and other issues for months but appear to have found traction at just the right time. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Lizzy, a Portland sculptor, struggles to mount her next show. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 In a statement, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen alluded to consumers struggles amid inflation - especially at the supermarket. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Her father had described the family roots of his emotional struggles and the difficulty of acknowledging that pain. Thom Duffy, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 For some listeners, The Downward Spiral offers a deeper resonance of individual struggles, embracing teen angst and going beyond the simple bait-love-and-desire of plastic chart pop. Adam Steiner, SPIN, 8 Mar. 2024 On the other hand, the expansion gives Purvis sufficient time to dwell on period-establishing and character-developing details often glossed over in films depicting the struggle for survival in 19th-century frontier days. Joe Leydon, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Kazan deftly manages to convey Sister’s James struggle between innocent naivety and the loss of inner light that comes with considering ugly possible truths. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 But her video sparked a reply from makeup artist Erica Taylor, who understands the struggle of millennials who are constantly beaten down by the criticisms of the youths and who just want to be cool (but also want to not care). Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Falling well short in a spirited campaign to dethrone Mr. Trump, Ms. Haley brought to a close the latest struggle over the soul and direction of the Republican Party. Jonathan Weisman Ruth Fremson, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The court’s decision comes less than three weeks after The Post chronicled the family’s struggle to obtain a birth certificate for their son. Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Other than bringing something old to a new audience, many remakes struggle to bring anything fresh enough to justify the double dip. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'struggle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English struglen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near struggle

Cite this Entry

“Struggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/struggle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

struggle

1 of 2 verb
strug·​gle ˈstrəg-əl How to pronounce struggle (audio)
struggled; struggling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce struggle (audio)
1
: to make a great effort to overcome someone or something : strive
struggling with the problem
2
: to proceed with difficulty or with great effort
struggled through the snow
struggler noun

struggle

2 of 2 noun
1
: fight entry 2 sense 1a, contest
a power struggle
2
: a violent or strenuous effort or exertion
a struggle to make ends meet

More from Merriam-Webster on struggle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!