verb

struggle

STRUH-guhl

verb

To make a strong, difficult effort to do, achieve, or overcome something.

"She struggled to finish the marathon in the heat."

"Many small businesses struggled to survive the downturn."

noun

A hard and prolonged effort or fight, often against difficult odds.

"His recovery was a long struggle after the accident."

"The strike was part of a broader struggle for fair wages."

How to Use Struggle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishFighting hard against something difficult, whether it’s a task, an opponent, or circumstances.

Common pairings

struggle with struggle to make ends meet a power struggle

struggled past tense, struggles plural, struggles singular

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Can you complete this real example?

She _____ to finish the marathon in the heat.

From Middle English struglen, of uncertain origin, possibly related to Middle Dutch words meaning "to stumble" or "to trip."

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