Struggling — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb phrase adjective /ˈstrə-gəl/ strug·gle

Meaning & Definition of Struggling

Struggling (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

Struggling (phrase)

  1. having a lot of difficulty breathing

Struggling (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in failing, dying

    similar: declining, dying, failing, floundering, languishing, depressed, unprosperous, unsuccessful, bankrupt, bankrupted, insolvent
    opposite: booming, boomy, flourishing, golden, halcyon, healthy, lush, palmy, prospering, prosperous, roaring, successful, thriving, affluent, moneyed, opulent, rich, substantial, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do, comfortable

Struggling (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: blundering, bumbling, flogging (British), floundering, limping, lumbering, plodding, stumbling, trudging
    related: jogging, shambling, shuffling, wallowing, weltering, faltering, lurching, reeling, staggering, swaying, teetering, tottering, fumbling, muddling
    near: coasting, flying, gliding, kilting, sailing, zipping, zooming

  2. to devote serious and sustained effort

    "the financially strapped couple struggled to make ends meet"

    similar: banging away, beavering (away), digging (away), drudging, endeavoring, fagging, grubbing, humping, hustling, laboring, moiling, pegging (away), plodding, plowing, plugging, slaving, slogging, straining, striving, sweating, toiling, travailing, tugging, working, sweating blood
    related: applying (oneself), buckling (down), digging in, hammering (away), knuckling down, pitching in, attacking, driving, essaying, trying, exercising, exerting, overexerting, overworking, eking out, grinding (out), putting out, scrabbling, scratching, trudging, wading
    near: breaking, easing (up), letting up, slackening, bumming, chilling, dallying, dillydallying, footling, goldbricking, goofing (off), hacking (around), hanging (around or out), idling, lazing, loafing, lounging, shirking, slacking (off), vegging out, basking, lolling, relaxing, reposing, resting, unwinding, dabbling, doodling, fooling around, fribbling, goofing (around), hanging, hanging about (British), messing around, monkeying (around), playing, pottering (around), puttering (around), trifling

Related Entry: Struggle (verb)

Struggle is a different word from Struggling. The synonyms below are for struggle, not for struggling.

  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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Struggling

The most common words with a similar meaning to Struggling:

British: flogging
declining, dying, failing, floundering, languishing, depressed, unprosperous, unsuccessful, bankrupt, bankrupted, insolvent, blundering, bumbling, limping, lumbering, plodding, stumbling, trudging, banging away, beavering (away), digging (away), drudging, endeavoring, fagging, grubbing, humping, hustling, laboring, moiling, pegging (away), plowing, plugging, slaving, slogging, straining, striving, sweating, toiling, travailing, tugging

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Struggling

Words with the opposite meaning of Struggling:

booming, boomy, flourishing, golden, halcyon, healthy, lush, palmy, prospering, prosperous, roaring, successful, thriving, affluent, moneyed, opulent, rich, substantial, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do, comfortable

Related Words for Struggling

jogging, shambling, shuffling, wallowing, weltering, faltering, lurching, reeling, staggering, swaying, teetering, tottering, fumbling, muddling, applying (oneself), buckling (down), digging in, hammering (away), knuckling down, pitching in, attacking, driving, essaying, trying, exercising, exerting, overexerting, overworking, eking out, grinding (out)

Near Antonyms of Struggling

coasting, flying, gliding, kilting, sailing, zipping, zooming, breaking, easing (up), letting up, slackening, bumming, chilling, dallying, dillydallying, footling, goldbricking, goofing (off), hacking (around), hanging (around or out), idling, lazing, loafing, lounging, shirking, slacking (off), vegging out, basking, lolling, relaxing

Word Forms of Struggling

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

Derived words: struggler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Struggling

Middle English struglen

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Struggling

fighting/struggling for breath

Frequently Asked Questions about Struggling

What does "Struggling" mean?

"Struggling" means to make strenuous or forceful efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition —often followed by to + a verb. As an a verb, a phrase and an adjective, 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 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Struggling"?

Other words for "Struggling" include declining, dying, failing, floundering, languishing, depressed, unprosperous and unsuccessful. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Struggling" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Struggling"?

There are 77 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Struggling". Common alternatives include declining, dying, failing, floundering, languishing, depressed, unprosperous, unsuccessful, bankrupt and bankrupted.

What is the opposite of "Struggling"?

Antonyms of "Struggling" include booming, boomy, flourishing, golden, halcyon, healthy, lush and palmy. Near antonyms include coasting, flying, gliding and kilting.

How do you use "Struggling" in a sentence?

Examples of "Struggling" 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".

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

"Struggling" can be used as a verb, a phrase and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Struggling"?

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

What is the origin of the word "Struggling"?

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