struggle
strug·gle / ˈstrəgəl/ • v. [intr.] make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or constriction: before she could struggle, he lifted her up | he struggled to break free. ∎ strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or resistance: many families struggle to make ends meet. ∎ (struggle with) have difficulty handling or coping with: passengers struggle with bags and briefcases. ∎ engage in conflict: politicians continued to struggle over familiar issues. ∎ [intr.] make one's way with difficulty: he struggled to the summit of the world's highest mountain. ∎ have difficulty in gaining recognition or a living: new authors are struggling in the present climate.• n. a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack. ∎ a conflict or contest: a power struggle for the leadership. ∎ a great physical effort: with a struggle, she pulled the stroller up the slope. ∎ a determined effort under difficulties: the center is the result of the scientists' struggle to realize their dream. ∎ a very difficult task: it was a struggle to make herself understood.PHRASES: the struggle for existence (or life) the competition between organisms, esp. as an element in natural selection, or between people seeking a livelihood.DERIVATIVES: strug·gler / ˈstrəg(ə)lər/ n.