struggle
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struggle
- /ˈstɹʌɡəl/ UK, US
- [ˈstɹʌɡl̩] UK, US
Rhymes with -ʌɡəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English struglen, stroglen, strogelen, of obscure origin; perhaps from a variant of *strokelen, *stroukelen (> English stroll), from Middle Dutch struyckelen ("to stumble, trip, falter"; > Modern Dutch struikelen), the frequentative form of Old Dutch *strūkon (“to stumble”), from Proto-Germanic *strūkōną, *strūkēną (“to be stiff”), from Proto-Indo-European *strug-, *ster- (“to be stiff; to bristle, strut, stumble, fall”),
Cognate with Scots strugil (“to struggle, grapple, contend”). Also related to Middle Low German strûkelen ("to stumble"; > Low German strükeln), Old High German strūhhēn, strūhhōn ("to stumble, trip, tumble, go astray"; > German strauchen, straucheln).
Alternative etymology derives the base of struggle from Old Norse strúgr (“arrogance, pride, spitefulness, ill-will”) + -le (frequentative suffix), from Proto-Germanic *strūkaz (“stiff, rigid”), ultimately from the same Proto-Indo-European root above, which would make it cognate with dialectal Swedish strug (“contention, strife, discord”), Norwegian stru (“obstinate, unruly”), Danish struende (“reluctantly”), Scots strug (“difficulty, perplexity, a laborious task”).
noun struggles · stroggell · strogell
- An effortful attempt to escape something dangerous, usually out of fear for one's life or health. The most striking detail was the absence of any sign of struggle. It looked as though the woman had made no attempt to fight back, evident from the lack of bruises/wounds on her body. It was probable that she had not expected the attack.
- Strife, contention, great effort. The struggle with ways and means had recommenced, more difficult now a hundredfold than it had been before, because of their increasing needs. Their income disappeared as a little rivulet that is swallowed by the thirsty ground. He worked night and day to supplement it.
verb struggles · struggling · struggled · stroggell · strogell
-
To strive, to labour in difficulty, to fight (for or against), to contend.
During the centuries, the people of Ireland struggled constantly to assert their right to govern themselves.
Similar: agonize
- To have difficulty with something. One of the doctor’s patients struggled with depression.
- To strive, or to make efforts, with a twisting, or with contortions of the body. She struggled to escape from her assailant's grasp.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: scramble, battle, fight, conflict, clamber, shinny, sputter, skin, shin, brawl, scuffle, luctation, tussle, wrangle, confrontation, wrangling
Translations
Every language
noun strife, effort
| Español | lucha, brega, bregadura, renqueo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 분투 buntu, 투쟁 tujaeng, 고투 gotu, 싸움 ssaum |
| 日本語 | 奮闘 funtō, 闘争 tōsō, 戦い tatakai |
| 中文 | 掙扎 zhēngzhá, 奮鬥 /奋斗 fèndòu, 鬥爭 /斗争 dòuzhēng |
| हिन्दी | संघर्ष saṅgharṣ, लड़ाई laṛāī |
| Português | luta |
| Français | lutte |
| Deutsch | Kampf, Gefecht, Struggle |
| Italiano | lotta |
| Ελληνικά | αγώνας agónas |
| Română | luptă |
| Русский | борьба́ borʹbá, бой boj, би́тва bítva |
| Tiếng Việt | (cuộc) đấu tranh |
| العربية | كِفَاح kifāḥ, نِضَال niḍāl, جِهَاد jihād, مُبَارَزَة mubāraza, قِتَال qitāl |
| עברית | מַאֲבָק ma'avák |
verb to strive, to labour in difficulty, to fight
| Español | luchar, esforzarse con denuedo, bregar, batallar, pugnar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 몸부림치다 momburimchida, 투쟁(鬪爭)하다 tujaenghada, 싸우다 ssauda |
| 日本語 | 闘争する tōsō suru, 奮闘する funtō suru |
| 中文 | 奮鬥 /奋斗 fèndòu |
| हिन्दी | जूझना jūjhnā |
| Português | lutar, debater-se |
| Français | lutter, s'efforcer, combattre |
| Deutsch | sich durchbeißen, sich schwer tun, struggeln |
| Italiano | lottare |
| Română | lupta, zbate |
| Русский | боро́ться borótʹsja, сража́ться sražátʹsja, би́ться bítʹsja, дра́ться drátʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | đấu tranh |
| العربية | كافح, جَاهَدَ jāhada, نَاضَلَ nāḍala |
verb to have difficulty with something
| Español | padecer, costarle, renquear, vérselas y deseárselas, verse y desearse, pasarlas negras |
|---|
Talk about this word "struggle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/struggle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. struggle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/struggle "struggle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/struggle.Cite this
@misc{struggle_2026,
title = {struggle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/struggle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
