struggle
/'strʌgl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A strenuous effort; a difficult fight or attempt: "struggle" refers to a great effort made against difficulties or opposition.
- An open conflict or fight: "struggle" can also mean a physical fight or a prolonged conflict between opposing forces or ideas.
- A difficult task or challenge: Informally, "struggle" can describe something that is very hard to do.
Verb:
- To make a strenuous effort; to fight or contend against difficulty or opposition: The core meaning involves exerting great physical or mental effort to overcome something.
- To move with difficulty or effort: "struggle" can describe moving awkwardly or forcing one's way through a tight space.
- To try hard to achieve something despite challenges: It implies a continuous and difficult attempt to reach a goal.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- The struggle for civil rights changed history.
- It was a real struggle to wake up this morning.
- The two boxers were locked in a fierce struggle.
Verb:
- She had to struggle to make ends meet.
- The hiker struggled up the steep path.
- He struggled with the heavy suitcase.
Advanced Usage
"to struggle against/with": to fight or contend with a problem, opponent, or feeling.
- She struggled against the current to reach the shore.
- Many people struggle with anxiety.
"to struggle for": to fight or make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.
- They struggled for freedom and equality.
- The team is struggling for a place in the finals.
"to struggle on": to continue trying despite great difficulty.
- Though exhausted, the explorers struggled on towards the summit.
Variants and Related Words
Struggler (n): A person who struggles.
- He was a determined struggler who never gave up.
Struggling (adj): Having difficulty; not successful financially.
- A struggling artist.
- The struggling economy.
Synonyms
- Fight: A more general term for physical or metaphorical conflict.
- Battle: Often implies a major, sustained conflict.
- Strive: Suggests great effort towards a goal, with less emphasis on conflict.
- Grapple: To engage in a close fight or struggle; to try to deal with a problem.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Struggle along: To manage with difficulty, especially in life or work.
- After the factory closed, the town struggled along for years.
Struggle through: To complete something with great difficulty.
- I struggled through the last chapter of the difficult book.
Related Idioms
An uphill struggle/battle: A very difficult task requiring great effort over time.
- Rebuilding the company after the scandal was an uphill struggle.
A power struggle: A situation where people or groups compete for control or influence.
- The boardroom was consumed by a power struggle.
Noun
- strenuous effort
- the struggle to get through the crowd exhausted her
- an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)
- the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph--Thomas Paine
- police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs
- an energetic attempt to achieve something
- getting through the crowd was a real struggle
- he fought a battle for recognition
Verb
- be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
- the tribesmen fought each other
- Siblings are always fighting
- Militant groups are contending for control of the country
- climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
- to exert strenuous effort against opposition
- he struggled to get free from the rope
- make a strenuous or labored effort
- She struggled for years to survive without welfare
- He fought for breath