# struggle

/ˈstɹəɡəɫ/ (US) · /stɹˈʌɡəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/struggle
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to have difficulty

verb · CEFR B1

to find something very hard to do or deal with.

For teachers: to experience significant difficulty in achieving a task or maintaining a standard.

- Many students struggle with math because the concepts are quite abstract.
- Even experienced researchers struggle to keep pace with the sheer volume of new data being published in the field every month.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'with' or followed by an infinitive.

### 2. to move with effort

verb · CEFR B2

to move your body with great effort, often to get free from something.

For teachers: to make violent or forceful physical efforts to escape from restraint or to move through an obstacle.

- The cat struggled to get out of the carrier when we arrived at the vet.
- The climber struggled against the gale-force winds, trying to maintain his footing on the narrow, icy ridge.

Usage: Intransitive verb; often describes physical resistance.

### 3. a difficult task

noun · CEFR B1

a situation that is very hard to deal with or requires a lot of work.

For teachers: an act of striving or a period of difficult effort against opposition or hardship.

- It was a real struggle to finish the marathon in such hot weather.
- The long struggle for independence eventually led to a peaceful transition of power and the establishment of a new constitution.

Usage: Countable noun.

### 4. physical fight

noun · CEFR B2

a physical fight or a situation where people use force against each other.

For teachers: a physical encounter or scuffle involving forceful resistance.

- There were signs of a struggle in the room, with chairs knocked over and glass on the floor.
- A brief struggle ensued as the guards attempted to disarm the intruder before he could reach the secure wing of the facility.

Usage: Often used with 'ensued' or 'broke out'.

## Examples

- Learning a new language is a struggle.
- After losing his job, paying the rent became a daily struggle for the family.
- The novel portrays the protagonist's internal struggle between her personal ambitions and her sense of duty to her community.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.