struggle

STRUG-uhl/ˈstrʌɡəl/

Verbstruggles, struggling, struggled

Noun pluralstruggles

6 meanings of struggle

Practice

1
verbintransitive
To have difficulty doing, managing, or understanding something.
Students often struggle with abstract concepts in their first year.
She struggled to balance her job with caring for her parents.
UsageUse struggle with + a noun or struggle to + verb: struggle with math, struggle to keep up.
Similargrapple, wrestle, flounder, strain
Oppositethrive, excel, cope, succeed
2
a hard fightnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A state of strife or contention, or a great effort made in the face of difficulty.
The civil rights struggle reshaped the nation over a generation.
Her daily struggle with chronic pain slowly wore her down.
UsageA struggle for what you want, against or with what stands in the way; it was a struggle to + verb for a hard task.
Similarbattle, fight, effort, campaign, conflict
Oppositeease, peace
3
verbintransitive
To make great efforts against difficulty or opposition; to fight or contend for or against something.
Activists struggled for decades to win the right to vote.
Workers at the mill continued to struggle for fair pay, organizing strikes and petitions despite threats from the owners.
UsageUsually struggle for a goal (fair pay) or struggle against what opposes you (harsh winters).
Similarfight, strive, battle, contend, labor
Oppositeyield, surrender, submit
4
twist to break freeverbintransitive
To make efforts with twisting or contortions of the body, as when trying to break free.
The prisoner struggled against his bonds for hours.
Fish struggle violently when lifted out of the water.
UsageOften struggle against ropes or a grip, or struggle free of something.
Similarwrithe, squirm, wriggle, thrash, flail
5
move with effortverbintransitive
To make one's way somewhere, or into or out of something, with great physical effort.
The hikers struggled through knee-deep snow to reach the hut before dark.
Every morning she has to struggle into her heavy winter boots before heading out to feed the animals.
UsageFollowed by a word of direction: struggle through snow, struggle up the stairs, struggle into or out of boots.
Similarfight, trudge, scramble

Less common meaning

6
nouncountable
A twisting movement of the body made in an attempt to escape or to accomplish a difficult task.
After a brief struggle, the suspect broke free of the officer's grip.
The trapped bird's frantic struggles only tightened the netting around it.
Similarscuffle, tussle

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of struggle apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

This word comes from Middle English struglen, of obscure origin, and is related to Scots strugil ("to struggle, grapple, contend"). It may derive from a variant linked to Middle Dutch struyckelen ("to stumble, trip"), from Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to be stiff" or "to stumble." An alternative account traces it to Old Norse strúgr ("arrogance, pride, ill-will") plus a frequentative suffix, from the same ancient root.

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

Struggle comes from Middle English struglen. en.wiktionary.org
Its earlier origin is obscure. reunido.uniovi.es
It is related to Scots strugil, meaning to struggle, grapple or contend. en.wiktionary.org
One proposed derivation connects it through a variant with Middle Dutch struyckelen, meaning to stumble or trip. en.wiktionary.org
That proposed derivation continues through Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European roots associated with stiffness and stumbling. en.wiktionary.org
An alternative proposed derivation combines Old Norse strúgr, meaning arrogance, pride or ill-will, with a frequentative suffix and ultimately connects it to the same Proto-Indo-European root. en.wiktionary.org