Word
strive
US/ˈstɹaɪv/
UK/stɹˈaɪv/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
strive
Past
strove
Past participle
striven
Definitions
01to try hard
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to try very hard to do or get something.
v. to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something; to exert oneself vigorously.
“We must strive for a better future for our children.”
“The organisation continues to strive for excellence in every aspect of its operations, despite the significant budgetary constraints it faces.”
Usage
Often followed by the preposition 'for' or an infinitive with 'to'.
Pitfall
They strive to success.
They strive for success.
Use 'strive for' followed by a noun, or 'strive to' followed by a verb.
02to compete or struggle
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Archaic
v. to compete with someone or struggle against something.
v. to struggle in opposition or to contend in rivalry.
“The two athletes strove against each other for the gold medal.”
“In his poetry, he describes the human spirit as it strives against the inevitable passage of time and the fading of memory.”
Usage
Usually takes the preposition 'with' or 'against'.
Teaching tip
This sense is largely literary; in modern speech, 'compete' or 'struggle' is much more common.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “strive” in context.
Verb
01. strive for a balance
“Modern professionals often strive for a balance between their demanding careers and personal lives.”
verb + prep + noun
02. strive for excellence
“The academy encourages all its students to strive for excellence in both academics and sports.”
verb + prep + noun
03. strive to improve
“We must constantly strive to improve our customer service standards to remain competitive.”
verb + infinitive
Adverb
04. continually strive for perfection
“As an artist, she would continually strive for perfection, often repainting the same canvas for weeks.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
05. earnestly strive to succeed
“The young entrepreneurs earnestly strive to succeed despite the high failure rate of startups.”
adv + verb + infinitive
06. strive tirelessly for justice
“Human rights activists strive tirelessly for justice in regions affected by civil unrest.”
verb + adv + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The emotional rhythms are irresistible: you strive for a thing, you get close to the thing, conditionally, you strive harder and you hopefully hit the jackpot.” “Although many families strive to share these responsibilities , research has consistently found that mothers tend to shoulder a larger share of the work tied to their kids’ schooling.” “Our bodies strive to keep a core temperature of about 37C whether we are in a snowstorm or a heatwave.” Etymology
From Middle English striven (“to strive”), from Old French estriver (“to compete, quarrel”), from Frankish strīban (“to exert, make an effort”) from Proto-Germanic strībaną, or from Frankish stribēn (“to strive”) from Proto-Germanic stribāną. As this verb is conjugated as if it were a strong verb (like drive, ride, and write), it is possible this word may instead be inherited from an unattested Old English strīfan or strifian, which would itself also be inherited from Proto-Germanic *strībaną.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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