third-person singular verb
He, she, or it tries very hard to do something or deal with something difficult.
She struggles to solve the problem.
The new employee struggles with the software.
American English
How to pronounce struggles
verb · nounB1Common word
STRUHglz
/ˈstɹə.gl̩z/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of struggle
Struggles can be either a third-person singular verb or a plural noun.
He, she, or it tries very hard to do something or deal with something difficult.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
third-person singular verb
He, she, or it fights or pulls against someone or something using force.
He struggles against the locked door.
The dog struggles when the vet holds it still.
plural noun
Difficult efforts to achieve something or deal with problems.
Many families face daily struggles.
Her struggles to find work lasted for months.
plural noun
Physical fights in which people push, pull, or hold one another.
The victim's struggles alerted the neighbors.
The struggles continued until the guard arrived.
Useful expressions
to have difficulty moving, learning, or progressing at the same speed as others
I struggle to keep up in fast meetings.
to have difficulty paying for basic needs
Many families struggle to make ends meet.
a hard fight to stay alive
The animals struggle for survival in winter.
Related words & forms
Drop the final e before -ing: struggling. Keep the double g in struggled.