Meanings
strive1
verbstrive (third-person singular simple present strives, present participle striving, simple past strove or strived, past participle striven or strived or (nonstandard, colloquial) strove)
present singular third person strives · participle present striving · past strove · past strived · participle past striven · participle past strived · colloquial nonstandard participle past strove · first person past singular strove · first person past singular strived · past second person singular strove · past second person singular strived · present singular third person strives · past singular third person strove · past singular third person strived · past plural strove · past plural strived
- To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently.
He strove to excel.
3 more examples
We strive for the truth.
Though the writer has striven to dwell on aspects that have passed, or are passing away, it will be apparent that many features of Midland practice have been adopted as standard for the L.M.S.R. and other railways.
1946 May and June, J. Alan Rannie, “The Midland of 35 Years Ago”, in Railway Magazine, page 200Moreover, on several occasions, terminus stations such as Nine Elms, Bishop's Bridge, Maiden Lane and Bishopgate were built rather further away from the centre of London, only to be dispensed with as the various railway companies strove to get as near as possible to the lucrative markets of the City and the West End.
2021 January 13, Christian Wolmar, “Read all about London's Cathedrals of Steam”, in RAIL, number 922, page 62 - To struggle in opposition; to be in contention or dispute; to contend; to contest.
to strive against fate
2 more examples
Now private pity strove with public hate, / Reason with rage, and eloquence with fate.
1668, John Denham, “On the Earl of Strafford’s Tryal and Death”, in Poems and Translations, with The Sophy, London: […] [John Macock] for H[enry] Herringman […], →OCLCWe have met this new thing that has come upon the earth and have striven against its armies, but could not drive them forth; and the new thing is beautiful but very angry, and is creeping towards the gods.
1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 7 - To vie; to compete as a rival.
[Not] that sweet grove Of Daphne, by Orontes and the inspired Castalian spring, might with this paradise Of Eden strive.
1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
strive2
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently.
Similar
putkeep&c. one's nose to the grindstoneput one's back intogive 110%break one's backwork hardapply oneselfput one's shoulder to the wheel
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*strībaną
- Proto-Germanic*stribāną
- Frankish*stribēn“to strive”
- Proto-Germanic*strībaną
- Frankish*strīban“to exert, make an effort”
- Old Frenchestriver“to compete, quarrel”
- Middle Englishstriven“to strive”
- Englishstrive
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.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Frankish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι, ἐρίζω
- ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ἐρίζω (erízō)to struggle in opposition
Arabic كَافَحَ, اِجْتَهَدَ
- كَافَحَ (kāfaḥa)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- اِجْتَهَدَ (ijtahada)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- نَاضَلَ (nāḍala)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- حَرَصَ (ḥaraṣa)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- جَدَّ (jadda)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- جَاهَدَ (jāhada)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- جَاهَدَ (jāhada)to struggle in opposition
Bulgarian стремя́ се, старая се
- стремя́ се (stremjá se)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- старая се (staraja se)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- боря се (borja se)to struggle in opposition
Catalan júnyer, bregar
- júnyerto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- bregarto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- esforçar-seto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- afanyar-seto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- procurarto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- maldarto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- júnyerto struggle in opposition
Chinese Mandarin 努力, 奮鬥 /奋斗
- 努力 (nǔlì)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 奮鬥 /奋斗 (fèndòu)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 殫力 /殚力 (dānlì)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 力圖 /力图 (lìtú)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 掙 /挣 (zhèng)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Czech usilovat, snažit se
- usilovatto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- snažit seto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- čelitto struggle in opposition
Danish stræbe efter, hige efter
- stræbe efterto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- hige efterto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- arbejde med stor anstrengelseto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Dutch streven
- strevento sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Esperanto strebi
- strebito sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Finnish pyrkiä, ponnistella
- pyrkiäto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ponnistellato sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- yrittääto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- tehdä hartiavoimin töitäto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- urakoidato sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- raataato sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- taistellato struggle in opposition
- kamppaillato struggle in opposition
French s'efforcer, s'appliquer
- s'efforcerto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- s'appliquerto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- combattreto struggle in opposition
German streben, sich bemühen
- strebento sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- sich bemühento sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- sich anstrengento sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ringen umto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- sich einsetzen fürto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ringen mitto struggle in opposition
- sich einsetzen gegento struggle in opposition
Hindi प्रयास करना, उद्यम करना
- प्रयास करना (prayās karnā)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- उद्यम करना (udyam karnā)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Icelandic leggja sig fram (leggja sig fram)
- leggja sig fram (leggja sig fram)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Indonesian berjuang, memperjuangkan
- berjuangto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- memperjuangkanto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- bersusah payahto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Irish bí ag dréim, bí ag coimhlint
- bí ag dréimto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- bí ag coimhlintto struggle in opposition
Italian sforzarsi, cercare
- sforzarsito sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- cercareto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ambireto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- arrabattarsito sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ingegnarsito sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- adoperarsito sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- impegnarsito sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- dare il massimoto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- lottareto struggle in opposition
- battersito struggle in opposition
Japanese 努力する, 闘う
- 努力する (doryoku suru)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 闘う (tatakau)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 努める (tsutomeru)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 奮闘する (funtō suru)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Korean 노력하다, 애쓰다
- 노력하다 (noryeokhada)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- 애쓰다 (aesseuda)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Latin mōlior, nītor
- mōliorto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- nītorto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- appetoto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Māori oke, nanaiore
- oketo sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- nanaioreto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ngakito sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- oketo struggle in opposition
Norwegian Bokmål streve
- streveto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Persian کوشش کردن, تلاش کردن
- کوشش کردن (kôšeš kardan)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- تلاش کردن (talâš kardan)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Polish dążyć, starać się
- dążyćto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- starać sięto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- pragnąćto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- usiłowaćto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- przykładać sięto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Portuguese esforçar-se, batalhar
- esforçar-seto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- batalharto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- aplicar-seto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Russian стреми́ться, стара́ться
- стреми́ться (stremítʹsja)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- стара́ться (starátʹsja)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- боро́ться (borótʹsja)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- прилага́ть уси́лия (prilagátʹ usílija)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- закатать рукава (zakatatʹ rukava)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- бороться (borotʹsja)to struggle in opposition
Slovak snažiť sa, usilovať sa
- snažiť sato sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- usilovať sato sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- čeliťto struggle in opposition
- bojovaťto struggle in opposition
Spanish esforzarse por, afanar
- esforzarse porto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- afanarto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- aplicarseto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- romperse el lomoto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- deslomarseto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- luchar porto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- echarle ganasto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- denodarseto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- empeñarseto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- azacanarseto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- azacanearto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- pugnarto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Swedish sträva, anstränga (sig)
- strävato sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- anstränga (sig)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ge 110%to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- ge järnetto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Tamil முயல்
- முயல் (muyal)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Thai พยายาม, เพียร
- พยายาม (pá-yaa-yaam)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- เพียร (piian)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- บากบั่น (bàak-bàn)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Ukrainian пра́гнути, рва́тися
- пра́гнути (práhnuty)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- рва́тися (rvátysja)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- стара́тися (starátysja)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- намага́тися (namahátysja)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- силува́тися (syluvátysja)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
- дба́ти (dbáty)to sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Vietnamese cố gắng
- cố gắngto sincerely try to achieve, to make one's best effort
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with strive
livedrivefivealivesurvivedivederiveclivethriverevivehivebeehivedeprivebeliveviveriveshivechivecontrivewiveskivesliveconniveacclive
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
strive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strive
MLA
“strive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strive. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “strive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strive.
Source: strive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.