Strive vs. Struggle — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 7, 2024
Strive involves determined effort towards a goal, focusing on the positive aspect of effort; struggle emphasizes challenges and difficulties faced, often with a negative connotation.
Difference Between Strive and Struggle
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Strive is about making earnest efforts or exerting oneself vigorously towards achieving a specific goal or objective. It carries a positive undertone, suggesting a purposeful and determined endeavor. On the other hand, struggle implies facing difficulties or resistance, often with a sense of hardship and effort in overcoming obstacles.
Striving is often associated with a clear vision or a positive aspiration, where the focus is on the journey towards an achievement or excellence. Whereas struggling tends to highlight the barriers or challenges that one encounters, sometimes making the path towards the goal seem more daunting.
In the context of personal growth, to strive is to actively work towards betterment or improvement with optimism. This can be in one's career, personal skills, or education. On the other hand, to struggle might indicate dealing with challenges that hinder progress, such as financial hardships, learning difficulties, or external setbacks.
Striving can be a motivating force that propels individuals to push their boundaries and reach for higher standards. It embodies a proactive stance towards achieving success. In contrast, struggling might require a reactive approach, where the focus is on managing or overcoming the issues at hand.
In societal and collective endeavors, striving often represents a collaborative effort towards a common good or a shared vision, highlighting unity and purpose. Struggle, conversely, can signify a collective fight against adversities or injustices, where the emphasis is on the resilience and perseverance of a group or community.
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Comparison Chart
Connotation
Positive, goal-oriented
Negative, dealing with hardship
Focus
Achieving goals, improvement
Overcoming obstacles, resistance
Context
Personal growth, ambition
Challenges, adversities
Approach
Proactive, determined
Reactive, often forced to deal with difficulties
Associated feelings
Motivation, optimism
Frustration, perseverance
Compare with Definitions
Strive
To try hard towards a goal.
They strived for excellence in every project.
Struggle
To strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or resistance.
They struggled for justice.
Strive
To make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.
She strived to become the best in her field.
Struggle
To experience difficulty in making progress.
He struggled with the subject throughout the semester.
Strive
To aim or seek ambitiously.
Young artists strive for recognition and success.
Struggle
To contend with an adversary or opposing force.
He struggled to overcome his fears.
Strive
To struggle or fight vigorously.
She strived against the limitations imposed on her.
Struggle
To proceed with difficulty or with great effort.
She struggled through the dense forest.
Strive
To exert oneself to do or achieve something.
He strives every day to improve his skills.
Struggle
To engage in a strenuous effort against obstacles.
The team struggled to meet the deadline.
Strive
Make great efforts to achieve or obtain something
National movements were striving for independence
We must strive to secure steady growth
Struggle
To exert muscular energy, as against a material force or mass
Struggled with the heavy load.
Strive
To exert much effort or energy; endeavor.
Struggle
To be strenuously engaged with a problem, task, or undertaking
Struggled for years before breaking through as an actor.
Strive
To struggle or fight forcefully; contend
Strive against injustice.
Struggle
To have difficulty or make a strenuous effort doing something
Struggled to be polite.
Strive
To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently.
He strove to excel.
We strive for the truth.
Struggle
To move or progress with difficulty
Struggled up the steep slope.
Strive
To struggle in opposition; to be in contention or dispute; to contend; to contest.
To strive against fate
Struggle
To contend or compete
"Right and wrong ... will ever continue to struggle" (Abraham Lincoln).
Strive
To vie; to compete as a rival.
Struggle
To move or place (something) with an effort
Struggled the heavy desk into the elevator.
Strive
To make efforts; to use exertions; to endeavor with earnestness; to labor hard.
Was for this his ambition stroveTo equal Cæsar first, and after, Jove?
Struggle
The act of struggling
The rat's struggle to escape the snake's coils.
Strive
To struggle in opposition; to be in contention or dispute; to contend; to contest; - followed by against or with before the person or thing opposed; as, strive against temptation; strive for the truth.
My Spirit shall not always strive with man.
Why dost thou strive against him?
Now private pity strove with public hate,Reason with rage, and eloquence with fate.
Struggle
A strenuous effort in the face of difficulty
The struggle for civil rights.
Strive
To vie; to compete; to be a rival.
[Not] that sweet groveOf Daphne, by Orontes and the inspiredCastalian spring, might with this paradiseOf Eden strive.
Struggle
Strife, contention, or combat
Armed struggle.
Strive
An effort; a striving.
Struggle
Something that is difficult to do or achieve
Getting him to agree will be a struggle.
Strive
Strife; contention.
Struggle
A contortion of the body in an attempt to escape or to perform a difficult task.
Strive
Attempt by employing effort;
We endeavor to make our customers happy
Struggle
(figurative) Strife, contention, great effort.
Strive
To exert much effort or energy;
Straining our ears to hear
Struggle
To strive, to labour in difficulty, to fight (for or against), to contend.
During the centuries, the people of Ireland struggled constantly to assert their right to govern themselves.
Struggle
To strive, or to make efforts, with a twisting, or with contortions of the body.
She struggled to escape from her assailant's grasp.
Struggle
To strive, or to make efforts, with a twisting, or with contortions of the body.
Struggle
To use great efforts; to labor hard; to strive; to contend forcibly; as, to struggle to save one's life; to struggle with the waves; to struggle with adversity.
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it [Gettysburg] far above our power to add or detract.
Struggle
To labor in pain or anguish; to be in agony; to labor in any kind of difficulty or distress.
'T is wisdom to beware,And better shun the bait than struggle in the snare.
Struggle
A violent effort or efforts with contortions of the body; agony; distress.
Struggle
Great labor; forcible effort to obtain an object, or to avert an evil.
Struggle
Contest; contention; strife.
An honest might look upon the struggle with indifference.
Struggle
An energetic attempt to achieve something;
Getting through the crowd was a real struggle
He fought a battle for recognition
Struggle
An open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals);
The harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph
Police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs
Struggle
Strenuous effort;
The struggle to get through the crowd exhausted her
Struggle
Make a strenuous or labored effort;
She struggled for years to survive without welfare
He fought for breath
Struggle
To exert strenuous effort against opposition;
He struggled to get free from the rope
Struggle
Climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
Struggle
Be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight;
The tribesmen fought each other
Siblings are always fighting
Common Curiosities
Is it better to strive or to struggle?
Both have their place; striving is goal-oriented with a positive outlook, while struggling can build resilience through overcoming hardships.
Can striving involve struggle?
Yes, striving can involve struggle when efforts towards a goal encounter obstacles or challenges.
How is struggle different from strive?
Struggle involves dealing with challenges or adversities, often implying difficulty and resistance, whereas strive is about earnest efforts towards goals or improvements with a positive outlook.
What is an example of striving?
An example of striving is working diligently towards career advancement or mastering a new skill.
How can I strive effectively?
Focusing on clear goals, maintaining a positive attitude, and putting in consistent effort can help in striving effectively.
What does it mean to strive?
To strive means to make serious efforts or attempts towards achieving something, often with a positive and determined mindset.
What is an example of struggling?
Struggling might involve coping with financial difficulties while trying to achieve educational goals.
Is it possible to strive without a clear goal?
Striving usually involves a clear goal; without one, efforts may lack direction and purpose.
Do all ambitions involve striving?
Yes, ambitions typically involve striving as they require directed efforts towards achieving set goals.
Can struggling be positive?
While challenging, struggling can have positive outcomes such as increased strength, resilience, and personal growth.
Can struggle lead to success?
Yes, overcoming struggles can lead to personal growth and success by building resilience and determination.
Why do people struggle?
People struggle due to various reasons including personal, professional, or societal challenges and obstacles.
How can struggles be overcome?
Struggles can be overcome by perseverance, seeking support, adapting strategies, and maintaining a resilient mindset.
How does society view striving and struggling?
Society often views striving positively as ambition and effort towards success, while struggling may be seen with sympathy or admiration for resilience.
How do emotions affect striving and struggling?
Emotions can greatly impact both; positive emotions can fuel striving, while struggling may elicit a range of feelings from frustration to determination.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
