strive
Americanverb (used without object)
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to exert oneself vigorously; try hard.
He strove to make himself understood.
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to make strenuous efforts toward any goal.
to strive for success.
- Synonyms:
- toil
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to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.
-
to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance.
to strive against fate.
-
to rival; vie.
verb
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(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to make a great and tenacious effort
to strive to get promotion
-
(intr) to fight; contend
Related Words
See try.
Other Word Forms
- interstrive verb (used without object)
- outstrive verb (used with object)
- overstrive verb (used without object)
- restrive verb (used without object)
- striver noun
Etymology
Origin of strive
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English striven from Old French estriver “to quarrel, compete, strive” from Germanic; compare obsolete Dutch strijven, German streben “to strive”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deputy President John McLenaghan said increased pressure on slurry storage capacity has created difficult conditions for farms that strive to remain compliant with environmental regulations.
From BBC
Once a classic American success story—he came from a family of striving Italian immigrants who ran Perry’s Grill on North Street in Endicott, N.Y.—Luciano’s life ended in Endicott, the birthplace of IBM.
And, like you said, the pitfalls that you strove to avoid as you were coming up in this business.
From Los Angeles Times
The group said it would strive to shore up its balance sheet by issuing bonds and pausing shareholder payouts.
I’m really trying to dig a way for independent people to strive for themselves, put forth the effort, and not be discouraged by anything.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
