Struggle — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈstrə-gəl/ strug·gle

Meaning & Definition of Struggle

Struggle (verb)

  1. to make strenuous or forceful efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition —often followed by to + a verb
  2. to proceed with difficulty or with great effort
  3. to try to move something with difficulty

Struggle (noun)

  1. contest, strife
  2. a forceful effort or exertion, an act of strongly motivated striving
  3. tussle

Struggle (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually

    "each week I would struggle through my piano lesson, keenly aware that I wasn't getting any better"

    similar: blunder, bumble, flog (British), flounder, limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge
    related: jog, shamble, shuffle, wallow, welter, falter, lurch, reel, stagger, sway, teeter, totter, fumble, muddle
    near: coast, fly, glide, kilt, sail, zip, zoom

  2. to devote serious and sustained effort

    "the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet"

    similar: bang away, beaver (away), dig (away), drudge, endeavor, fag, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg (away), plod, plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, sweat, toil, travail, tug, work, sweat blood
    related: apply (oneself), buckle (down), dig in, hammer (away), knuckle down, pitch in, attack, drive, essay, try, exercise, exert, overexert, overwork, eke out, grind (out), put out, scrabble, scratch, trudge, wade
    near: break, ease (up), let up, slacken, bum, chill, dally, dillydally, footle, goldbrick, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, lounge, shirk, slack (off), veg out, bask, loll, relax, repose, rest, unwind, dabble, doodle, fool around, fribble, goof (around), hang, hang about (British), mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle

Struggle (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective

    "a performer's long struggle to achieve success"

    similar: battle, fight, fray, scrabble, throes
    related: effort, exertion, labor, pains, trouble, work, drudgery, grind, sweat, toil, travail, combat, conflict, contest, strife, tussle, war, warfare, attempt, endeavor, essay, try

  2. a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

    "there was a struggle between the armed robber and the shopkeeper, and the gun went off"

    similar: battle, clash, combat, conflict, contest, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, tussle
    related: pitched battle, rough-and-tumble, affray (chiefly British), battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee, mix-up, ruckus, ruction, blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-out, punch-up (chiefly British), slugfest, confrontation, duel, face-off, joust, altercation, argle-bargle (chiefly British), argument, argy-bargy (chiefly British), contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle, catfight
    near: truce

  3. an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another

    "her staunchest supporters in her struggle for the office"

    similar: ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, contest, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, sweepstakes, tug-of-war, war, warfare
    related: horse race, nail-biter, showdown, clash, collision, discord, friction, argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dispute, dissension, quarrel, row, wrangle
    near: concord, harmony, peace

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Struggle

The most common words with a similar meaning to Struggle:

British: flog
blunder, bumble, flounder, limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge, bang away, beaver (away), dig (away), drudge, endeavor, fag, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg (away), plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, sweat, toil, travail, tug, work, sweat blood, battle, fight, fray, scrabble, throes, clash, combat, conflict

Related Words for Struggle

jog, shamble, shuffle, wallow, welter, falter, lurch, reel, stagger, sway, teeter, totter, fumble, muddle, apply (oneself), buckle (down), dig in, hammer (away), knuckle down, pitch in, attack, drive, essay, try, exercise, exert, overexert, overwork, eke out, grind (out)

Near Antonyms of Struggle

coast, fly, glide, kilt, sail, zip, zoom, break, ease (up), let up, slacken, bum, chill, dally, dillydally, footle, goldbrick, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, lounge, shirk, slack (off), veg out, bask, loll, relax

Word Forms of Struggle

Inflections: struggled, struggling

Derived words: struggler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Struggle

Middle English struglen

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Struggle

Words & Phrases Containing Struggle

struggle for existence, struggle on, power struggle

Frequently Asked Questions about Struggle

What does "Struggle" mean?

"Struggle" means to make strenuous or forceful efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition —often followed by to + a verb. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to make strenuous or forceful efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition —often followed by to + a verb. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Struggle"?

Other words for "Struggle" include blunder, bumble, flog, flounder, limp, lumber, plod and stumble. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Struggle" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Struggle"?

There are 155 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Struggle". Common alternatives include blunder, bumble, flog, flounder, limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge and bang away.

How do you use "Struggle" in a sentence?

Examples of "Struggle" in a sentence: "each week I would struggle through my piano lesson, keenly aware that I wasn't getting any better"; "the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet"; "a performer's long struggle to achieve success".

Is "Struggle" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Struggle" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Struggle" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Struggle" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Struggle"?

"Struggle" is pronounced /ˈstrə-gəl/ and divided into syllables as strug·gle.

What is the origin of the word "Struggle"?

"Struggle" comes from Middle English struglen. First known use: 14th century.