Struggles — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈstrə-gəl/ strug·gle

Meaning & Definition of Struggles

Struggles (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
  4. to continue doing something that is difficult or tiring

Struggles (noun)

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

Struggles (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: blunders, bumbles, flogs (British), flounders, limps, lumbers, plods, stumbles, trudges
    related: jogs, shambles, shuffles, wallows, welters, falters, lurches, reels, staggers, sways, teeters, totters, fumbles, muddles
    near: coasts, flies, glides, kilts, sails, zips, zooms

  2. to devote serious and sustained effort

    "the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet"

    similar: bangs away, beavers (away), digs (away), drudges, endeavors, fags, grubs, humps, hustles, labors, moils, pegs (away), plods, plows, plugs, slaves, slogs, strains, strives, sweats, toils, travails, tugs, works, sweats blood
    related: applies (oneself), buckles (down), digs in, hammers (away), knuckles down, pitches in, attacks, drives, essays, tries, exercises, exerts, overexerts, overworks, ekes out, grinds (out), puts out, scrabbles, scratches, trudges, wades
    near: breaks, eases (up), lets up, slackens, bums, chills, dallies, dillydallies, footles, goldbricks, goofs (off), hacks (around), hangs (around or out), idles, lazes, loafs, lounges, shirks, slacks (off), vegges out, basks, lolls, relaxes, reposes, rests, unwinds, dabbles, doodles, fools around, fribbles, goofs (around), hangs, hangs about (British), messes around, monkeys (around), plays, potters (around), putters (around), trifles

Struggles (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective

    "a performer's long struggle to achieve success"

    similar: battles, fights, frays, scrabbles, throes
    related: efforts, exertions, labors, pains, troubles, works, drudgeries, grinds, sweats, toils, travails, combats, conflicts, contests, strifes, tussles, warfares, wars, attempts, endeavors, essays, tries

  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: battles, clashes, combats, conflicts, contests, dustups, fights, fracases, frays, hassles, scraps, scrimmages, scrums, scuffles, skirmishes, tussles
    related: pitched battles, rough-and-tumbles, affrays (chiefly British), battles royal, brawls, broils, donnybrooks, free-for-alls, melees, mix-ups, ruckuses, ructions, blows, fistfights, fisticuffs, grapples, handgrips, punch-outs, punch-ups (chiefly British), slugfests, confrontations, duels, face-offs, jousts, altercations, argle-bargles (chiefly British), arguments, argy-bargies (chiefly British), contretemps, controversies, cross fires, disagreements, disputes, fallings-out, kickups, misunderstandings, quarrels, rows, spats, squabbles, tangles, tiffs, wrangles, catfights
    near: truces

  3. an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another

    "her staunchest supporters in her struggle for the office"

    similar: ball games, battles, combats, competitions, conflicts, confrontations, contentions, contests, dogfights, duels, face-offs, grapples, matches, rivalries, strifes, sweepstakes, tugs-of-war, warfares, wars
    related: horse races, nail-biters, showdowns, clashes, collisions, discords, frictions, arguments, controversies, debates, disagreements, disputations, disputes, dissensions, quarrels, rows, wrangles
    near: concords, harmonies, peaces

Related Entry: Struggle (verb)

Struggle is a different word from Struggles. The synonyms below are for struggle, not for struggles.

  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

Related Entry: Struggle (noun)

Struggle is a different word from Struggles. The synonyms below are for struggle, not for struggles.

  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 Struggles

The most common words with a similar meaning to Struggles:

British: flogs
blunders, bumbles, flounders, limps, lumbers, plods, stumbles, trudges, bangs away, beavers (away), digs (away), drudges, endeavors, fags, grubs, humps, hustles, labors, moils, pegs (away), plows, plugs, slaves, slogs, strains, strives, sweats, toils, travails, tugs, works, sweats blood, battles, fights, frays, scrabbles, throes, clashes, combats, conflicts

Related Words for Struggles

jogs, shambles, shuffles, wallows, welters, falters, lurches, reels, staggers, sways, teeters, totters, fumbles, muddles, applies (oneself), buckles (down), digs in, hammers (away), knuckles down, pitches in, attacks, drives, essays, tries, exercises, exerts, overexerts, overworks, ekes out, grinds (out)

Near Antonyms of Struggles

coasts, flies, glides, kilts, sails, zips, zooms, breaks, eases (up), lets up, slackens, bums, chills, dallies, dillydallies, footles, goldbricks, goofs (off), hacks (around), hangs (around or out), idles, lazes, loafs, lounges, shirks, slacks (off), vegges out, basks, lolls, relaxes

Word Forms of Struggles

Inflections: struggled, struggling, struggled on, struggling on, struggles on

Derived words: struggler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Struggles

Middle English struglen

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Struggles

What does "Struggles" mean?

"Struggles" 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 "Struggles"?

Other words for "Struggles" include blunders, bumbles, flogs, flounders, limps, lumbers, plods and stumbles. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Struggles" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Struggles"?

There are 155 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Struggles". Common alternatives include blunders, bumbles, flogs, flounders, limps, lumbers, plods, stumbles, trudges and bangs away.

How do you use "Struggles" in a sentence?

Examples of "Struggles" 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 "Struggles" a noun, verb, or adjective?

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

How do you pronounce "Struggles"?

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

What is the origin of the word "Struggles"?

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

What is another word for "Struggles" meaning "to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually"?

When "Struggles" (verb) means to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually, synonyms include blunders, bumbles, flogs, flounders, limps and lumbers.