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Webster 1913 Edition


Struggle

Strug′gle

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Struggled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Struggling
.]
[OE.
strogelen
; cf. Icel.
strj[GREEK]ka
to stroke, to beat, to flog, Sw.
stryka
to stroke, to strike, Dan.
stryge
, G.
straucheln
to stumble. Cf.
Stroll
.]
1.
To strive, or to make efforts, with a twisting, or with contortions of the body.
2.
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.
Lincoln.
3.
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.
Dryden.
Syn. – To strive; contend; labor; endeavor.

Strug′gle

,
Noun.
1.
A violent effort or efforts with contortions of the body; agony; distress.
2.
Great labor; forcible effort to obtain an object, or to avert an evil.
Macaulay.
3.
Contest; contention; strife.
An honest might look upon the
struggle
with indifference.
Addison.
Syn. – Endeavor; effort; contest; labor; difficulty.

Webster 1828 Edition


Struggle

STRUGGLE

,
Verb.
I.
[This word may be formed on the root of stretch, right, &c. which signifies to strain; or more directly on the same elements in L., to wrinkle.]
1.
Properly, to strive, or to make efforts with a twisting or with contortions of the body. Hence,
2.
To use great efforts; to labor hard; to strive; to contend; as, to struggle to save life; to struggle with the waves; to struggle against the stream; to struggle with adversity.
3.
To labor in pain or anguish; to be in agony; to labor in any kind of difficulty or distress.
Tis wisdom to beware, and better shun the bait than struggle in the snare.

STRUGGLE

,
Noun.
1.
Great labor; forcible effort to obtain an object, or to avoid an evil; properly, a violent effort with contortions of the body.
2.
Contest; contention; strife.
An honest man might look upon the struggle with indifference.
3.
Agony; contortions of extreme distress.