Synonyms for struggle

Most common

fight · contend · strive · grapple · scramble · clamber

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

Noun

Antonyms

romp, cope

All antonyms of struggle →

Definitions

1. v. 1

   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.

2. v. 2

   To have difficulty with something.

   One of the doctor’s patients struggled with depression.

3. n. 1

   Strife, contention, great effort.

Related words

Word family

strugglesome

Phrases

class struggle

Forms

Plural

struggles → conflicts, strifes, battles, contentions…

Past participle

struggled
e.g. struggled → contended, strived, grappled, wrestled…

Choose the right word

Example sentences

• fight Starting a fight with Tom wasn't such a good idea.
• strive Do you strive to be the best version of yourself?
• contend He had to contend against physical suffering.
• skin Her skin is coarse from years of working outdoors.
• clamber She watched the tiny puppy clamber up the big stairs.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters

try¹, aim¹, tug¹

4 letters

skin¹, shin¹, toil¹

5 letters

fight¹, trial², labor², pains¹

6 letters

battle², effort², labour², combat², debate², strive¹, strife¹, tussle², affray, writhe¹, shinny

7 letters

contest², compete², stretch¹, warfare², contend², wrestle², grapple², scuffle², clamber², sputter², agonize³, agonise

8 letters

conflict², endeavor³, scramble², exertion³, flounder²

9 letters

endeavour³

10 letters

contention³

11 letters

competition⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (trial² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français

galérer