struggle
struggle — noun
1. something that demands a lot of physical or mental effort to accomplish or get t
something that demands a lot of physical or mental effort to accomplish or get through — for example, completing a long project while short on time, or raising children on a tight budget.
Nila found learning Chinese characters a real struggle at first.
collocation: 'a real struggle'
For the refugee family, finding safe housing was a daily struggle.
collocation: 'a daily struggle'
Running a small restaurant during the recession proved to be a struggle.
The team's struggle to meet the tight deadline tested everyone's patience.
pattern: 'struggle + to-infinitive'
Getting the old car up the steep gravel road was quite a struggle.
- a real struggle
- a daily struggle
- a constant struggle
- a long struggle
- an uphill struggle
Grammar Patterns
a struggle
be a struggle
Usage Note
Commonly used with the indefinite article 'a' ('it was a struggle'). In everyday conversation, 'it's a struggle' is a fixed expression for describing anything that is hard to do.
Common Mistakes
2. a situation in which people or groups oppose each other with physical force, arg
a situation in which people or groups oppose each other with physical force, arguments, or competing aims — for example, two political parties competing for control, or an individual wrestling with a difficult moral decision.
The struggle between the two political parties grew more bitter each month.
pattern: 'struggle between [groups]'
Léa's internal struggle with guilt kept her awake at night.
pattern: 'internal struggle'
The power struggle within the company led to several resignations.
collocation: 'power struggle'
Activists described the protests as a struggle for basic human rights.
pattern: 'struggle for [goal]'
The novel follows one family's struggle against social injustice in the 1930s.
- power struggle
- class struggle
- armed struggle
- internal struggle
- political struggle
- struggle for freedom
- struggle against oppression
Grammar Patterns
struggle between [plural noun]
struggle for [goal]
struggle against [opposition]
Common Mistakes
3. a determined attempt to push forward, improve, or overcome an obstacle through i
a determined attempt to push forward, improve, or overcome an obstacle through intense physical or mental exertion — for example, an athlete's effort to finish a race despite injury, or an immigrant's effort to build a new life in a foreign country.
His struggle to finish the marathon inspired everyone who watched.
pattern: 'possessive + struggle + to-infinitive'
The mountaineer's upward struggle against the freezing wind seemed hopeless.
pattern: 'struggle against [obstacle]'
Apinya's struggle to master English paid off after two years of classes.
The prisoner's heroic struggle to escape took months of careful planning.
collocation: 'heroic struggle'
- heroic struggle
- brave struggle
- upward struggle
- personal struggle
- constant struggle
- ease
effortless accomplishment; the opposite of strong exertion
Grammar Patterns
possessive + struggle + to-infinitive
possessive + struggle + against
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (VERY DIFFICULT TASK): sense 1 describes the task itself as hard ('finding a job was a struggle'), while sense 3 emphasizes the person's determined striving ('his struggle to find work showed great courage').
struggle — verb
1. to put in a great deal of effort when facing difficulties or obstacles — for exa
to put in a great deal of effort when facing difficulties or obstacles — for example, struggling to grasp a new subject you find confusing, struggling with a heavy workload at the office, or struggling to stay calm when you feel angry or upset.
William struggled to understand the advanced physics lecture on quantum theory.
pattern: 'struggle to + infinitive'
The young chef struggled to keep her restaurant open during the economic crisis.
Walid struggled with his maths homework late into the cold winter night.
pattern: 'struggle with [task]'
Many university students struggle to balance part-time jobs with their studies.
Sivan struggled to control her temper when the customer was rude to her.
- struggle to [+ infinitive]
- struggle with [problem]
- struggle against the odds
- coast
to make progress with little or no effort
- sail through
informal; to do something very easily
Grammar Patterns
struggle to + infinitive
struggle with [task/problem]
Usage Note
The object of the effort is introduced by 'to' + infinitive ('struggle to finish') or 'with' + noun ('struggle with a decision'). 'Struggle against' is rarer in this sense and usually implies fighting an external obstacle.
Common Mistakes
2. to move your body with difficulty, often because you are tired, injured, or the
to move your body with difficulty, often because you are tired, injured, or the surface or space makes progress hard — for example, struggling through deep snow, struggling up a steep hill, or struggling out of a tight space.
Yan struggled through the deep snow to reach the village shop before dark.
pattern: 'struggle through [terrain]'
The injured bird struggled to lift itself off the wet ground.
Rafael struggled up the rocky path with a heavy bag strapped to his back.
pattern: 'struggle up [slope]'
Élise struggled out of the narrow window to escape the burning house.
pattern: 'struggle out of [tight space]'
- struggle through [snow/crowd/traffic]
- struggle up [hill/steps]
- struggle out of [bed/seat/window]
- struggle across [field/floor]
- glide
smooth, effortless movement
Grammar Patterns
struggle through/up/out of/across [space]
Usage Note
This sense is almost always followed by a directional prepositional phrase (through, up, out of, across, along). Without the direction, the meaning shifts to sense 1 (trying hard).
3. to be in a situation where you are likely to fail, be defeated, or not survive —
to be in a situation where you are likely to fail, be defeated, or not survive — for example, a business struggling to stay open, a marriage struggling to survive constant arguments, or a species struggling to avoid extinction.
The small family farm struggled to survive after three years of drought.
pattern: 'struggle to survive'
Lauren's marriage was struggling under the weight of constant disagreements.
pattern: 'struggling marriage / relationship'
The local theatre group struggled to attract audiences for its new play.
Without new investment, the technology company struggled to stay competitive.
- struggling business
- struggling marriage
- struggling economy
- struggle to survive
- struggle to stay afloat
- thrive
to grow and succeed strongly
Grammar Patterns
struggle to + infinitive (survive / stay afloat / keep up)
Usage Note
Unlike 'fail', which marks an end point, 'struggle' describes the ongoing difficulty before failure. The verb is often used in the progressive aspect ('is struggling', 'was struggling'). Common subjects include businesses, relationships, institutions, and species.
Common Mistakes
4. to use your body, especially your arms and hands, to fight against someone who i
to use your body, especially your arms and hands, to fight against someone who is trying to hold you, restrain you, or take something from you — for example, struggling with an attacker, or struggling to get free from a tight hold.
The two boys struggled briefly before the teacher stepped in to separate them.
pattern: 'struggle with [someone]'
Felix struggled with the attacker and managed to free one of his hands.
The security guard and the intruder struggled over the stolen documents.
pattern: 'struggle over [something]'
Tunde struggled to escape from the ropes that held his wrists together.
- struggle with [someone]
- struggle over [possession]
- struggle to get free
- struggle against [attacker]
- surrender
to stop fighting and give up
Grammar Patterns
struggle with [someone]
struggle over [something]
struggle to escape
Usage Note
This sense is typically used for brief physical encounters using arms and hands, not prolonged combat with weapons. It differs from 'fight' (which can involve weapons or sustained violence) and 'wrestle' (which refers to a specific sport or controlled grappling).
Common Mistakes
5. to put great energy into opposing something or advancing a cause, especially whe
to put great energy into opposing something or advancing a cause, especially when the outcome matters greatly — for example, struggling against an unfair law, struggling for better working conditions, or struggling to halt the spread of a deadly illness.
The local community struggled against the plan to build a factory near the school.
pattern: 'struggle against [proposal/injustice]'
Scientists around the world struggle to find a cure for the tropical disease.
The new government struggled against corruption across all state institutions.
Activists have been struggling for many years to protect the rainforest ecosystem.
pattern: 'struggle for [cause]'
- struggle against [injustice/corruption/disease]
- struggle for [independence/rights/justice]
- struggle to overcome [obstacle]
Grammar Patterns
struggle against [injustice/disease/problem]
struggle for [cause/justice/change]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (TRY HARD): sense 1 focuses on personal difficulty ('I struggled to hear him'), while sense 5 has a target that you oppose or defend ('they struggled against the new policy'). The preposition 'against' or 'for' signals this sense.
Common Mistakes
struggle along
phrasal verbTo continue doing something even though it is very difficult.
The old car struggled along the muddy road.
After losing his job, he struggled along with part-time work.
struggle on
phrasal verbTo continue trying to do something despite problems or difficulties.
Despite the pain, the runner struggled on to finish the race.
The company struggled on through the economic crisis.
Word family
- strugglingadjectiveB1
- strugglernounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe expending effort toward a goal, but they differ in focus and register. 'Struggle' (the most common and neutral) emphasises the difficulty itself — the resistance you face. 'Strive' is more formal and purposeful, focusing on the determined pursuit of a worthy aim ('strive for excellence'), without necessarily implying difficulty. 'Contend' adds an element of competition or argument ('contend with rising costs'), suggesting you are dealing with opposing forces. 'Fight' and 'battle' are more dramatic and concrete, often used metaphorically for personal issues ('fight cancer', 'battle addiction'), whereas 'struggle' can describe both concrete and ordinary difficulties. In everyday use, 'I struggled to hear him' sounds natural; 'I fought to hear him' would sound exaggerated for the same situation.
Common collocations
Nouns
- struggle for independence
- struggle for survival
- struggle against oppression
- struggle against poverty
- struggle for power
Adverbs
- struggle desperately
- struggle constantly
- struggle bravely
- struggle silently
- struggle alone
Phrases
- uphill struggle
- lifelong struggle
- ongoing struggle
- bitter struggle
Prepositions
- struggle with
- struggle against
- struggle for
- struggle over
- struggle through
Etymology
The word 'struggle' first appeared in Middle English around the 1300s as 'struglen'. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it may come from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse 'strugr' (stubborn resistance). Another theory links it to Old French 'estrupel' or Latin 'struppus' (a twisted band), suggesting the image of twisting and writhing against a constraint. The modern spelling settled in the 1500s, and by the 1600s the word had developed both its physical-fighting sense and its broader meaning of striving against difficulty.