Explanation at your level:
To struggle means to try hard. If a bag is too heavy, you struggle to carry it. If you do not understand a lesson, you struggle with the work. You use this word when something is not easy for you.
You use struggle when you have a hard time doing something. For example, if you are learning English, you might struggle with new words. It means you are putting in effort, but the task is still difficult to finish.
The verb struggle describes a situation where you face resistance or difficulty. You can struggle with a physical activity, like running a marathon, or an abstract one, like managing your time. It often implies a sense of persistence despite the difficulty.
In B2, struggle is used to describe complex challenges. You might struggle with a moral dilemma or struggle to reconcile two different opinions. It carries a nuance of internal or external conflict that requires significant mental or physical energy to resolve.
At the C1 level, struggle often appears in academic or professional contexts. It can describe systemic issues, such as a country struggling to maintain economic stability or a character in a novel struggling against their fate. It implies a deeper, often existential, level of difficulty.
At the C2 level, struggle is used with high precision. It can describe the 'struggle for existence' in evolutionary biology or the 'struggle for power' in political science. It conveys a profound sense of tension, endurance, and the human condition, often used in literary analysis to describe the core conflict of a narrative.
30초 단어
- Struggle means to try hard with difficulty.
- Use 'struggle with' for nouns and 'struggle to' for verbs.
- It is a common, neutral word for challenges.
- It has roots in wrestling and physical effort.
When we say someone is struggling, we usually mean they are working hard against a challenge. It is a very versatile word that covers everything from lifting a heavy box to learning a new language.
Think of it as the opposite of doing something effortlessly. Whether you are battling a math problem or trying to stay awake during a long meeting, you are in a state of struggle. It implies that the task at hand requires more energy than you currently have or that the path forward is blocked by some resistance.
The word struggle has roots in Middle English, appearing around the 14th century. It likely originates from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch terms like struggelen, which meant to wrestle or move with effort.
Historically, the word was closely tied to physical combat or wrestling. Over time, the meaning expanded from physical grappling to include the metaphorical battles we face in our daily lives, such as emotional or intellectual hurdles.
You will often hear people say they are struggling with a specific task. This is the most common collocation. For example, 'I am struggling with this report' is a very natural way to express that you are finding the work difficult.
It is used in both casual and professional settings. In a professional context, it sounds honest and proactive rather than complaining, as it acknowledges the difficulty of the work being performed.
Struggle for air: To find it very difficult to breathe. An uphill struggle: A task that is very difficult to achieve. Struggle to make ends meet: To have barely enough money to pay for basic needs. A power struggle: A situation where people fight for control. Struggle through: To manage to do something despite being very tired or finding it hard.
As a verb, struggle is regular. The past tense is struggled and the continuous form is struggling. It is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable: STRUG-ul.
It is often followed by the preposition 'with' when referring to a task or 'to' when referring to an action. For example: 'I struggle with math' versus 'I struggle to wake up early.'
Fun Fact
It likely comes from a Germanic root related to 'strug', meaning to twist or turn.
Pronunciation Guide
Short 'u' sound, clear 'g' sounds, ending in a schwa.
Very similar to UK, slightly more emphasis on the 'r' sound.
Common Errors
- Pronouncing the 'u' like 'oo'
- Dropping the 'g' sound
- Adding an extra syllable
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to read
Easy to use
Easy to say
Easy to hear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
고급
Grammar to Know
Infinitive verbs
struggle to do
Prepositional phrases
struggle with
Intransitive verbs
I struggle.
Examples by Level
I struggle to open this jar.
I have difficulty opening this jar.
struggle + to + verb
The baby struggles to walk.
The baby has a hard time walking.
struggle + to + verb
I struggle with this math.
I have difficulty with this math.
struggle + with + noun
They struggle to sleep.
They have a hard time sleeping.
struggle + to + verb
He struggles with the heavy box.
He has difficulty with the heavy box.
struggle + with + noun
We struggle to find the way.
We have a hard time finding the way.
struggle + to + verb
She struggles with her homework.
She has difficulty with her homework.
struggle + with + noun
I struggle to stay awake.
I have a hard time staying awake.
struggle + to + verb
I struggle with my new job.
The team struggles to win games.
She struggles to speak clearly.
He struggles with the loud noise.
We struggle to finish on time.
They struggle with the cold weather.
The plant struggles to grow here.
I struggle to understand the rules.
Many students struggle with essay writing.
The company struggles to keep up with demand.
He struggles to express his true feelings.
She struggles with a lack of motivation.
We struggle to balance work and life.
The economy struggles to recover.
They struggle to adapt to the new city.
I struggle with the technical terms.
The artist struggled to capture the light in her painting.
Politicians often struggle to reach a consensus.
She struggled with the decision for weeks.
The athlete struggled to regain his form after the injury.
He struggled to make his voice heard in the crowd.
The organization struggles to remain relevant.
We struggled to find a logical explanation.
They struggled with the ethical implications of the project.
The protagonist struggles against the constraints of society.
The nation struggled to reconcile its violent past.
He struggled to maintain his composure under pressure.
The software struggles to process such large datasets.
She struggled with the ambiguity of the situation.
The industry struggles to innovate in a saturated market.
They struggled to articulate their vision for the future.
The theory struggles to account for these anomalies.
The soul struggles for transcendence in a material world.
He struggled with the existential dread of his situation.
The narrative struggles to maintain its momentum.
The philosophy struggles to bridge the gap between mind and body.
They struggled to navigate the labyrinthine bureaucracy.
She struggled with the dichotomy of her identity.
The system struggles to accommodate such radical changes.
The poem struggles to resolve its internal contradictions.
자주 쓰는 조합
Idioms & Expressions
"uphill struggle"
a very difficult task
Learning this language is an uphill struggle.
neutral"struggle to make ends meet"
to have barely enough money
They struggle to make ends meet.
neutral"a power struggle"
a fight for control
The company had a power struggle.
neutral"struggle for air"
to gasp for breath
He hit the surface and struggled for air.
neutral"struggle through"
to endure to the end
I struggled through the long meeting.
casualEasily Confused
both involve effort
strive is about a goal, struggle is about difficulty
I strive to win; I struggle to run.
physical similarity
wrestle is often physical, struggle is often metaphorical
I wrestle with ideas; I wrestle in a match.
both imply hard work
labor is about the work itself, struggle is about the difficulty
I labor over the project; I struggle with the project.
both involve conflict
battle is more intense
I battle an illness; I struggle with a task.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + struggle + with + noun
I struggle with English.
Subject + struggle + to + verb
I struggle to wake up.
Subject + struggle + against + noun
They struggle against the tide.
It is a struggle to + verb
It is a struggle to finish.
Subject + struggle + for + noun
They struggle for rights.
어휘 가족
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
관련
How to Use It
8
Formality Scale
자주 하는 실수
Struggle is followed by the infinitive 'to', not the gerund.
Never use 'for' before a verb.
We struggle with a problem, not on it.
Use 'with' for the subject causing difficulty.
Struggle is an intransitive verb, it needs a preposition.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Visualize a 'Strong' person 'Ggling' (giggling) as they lift a heavy weight.
When Native Speakers Use It
When they are honest about finding work hard.
Cultural Insight
Often used in stories about 'the underdog'.
Grammar Shortcut
Struggle with + noun, Struggle to + verb.
Say It Right
Focus on the short 'u' sound.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't say 'struggle of'.
Did You Know?
It shares roots with wrestling.
Study Smart
Use it in a sentence about your own life.
Expand Your Range
Use 'grapple' for variety.
Writing Tip
Use it to show character conflict.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Struggle: Think of a 'Strong' person 'Ggling' (giggling) while lifting something heavy.
Visual Association
A person pushing a boulder up a hill.
Word Web
챌린지
Write three sentences about things you find difficult.
어원
Middle English
Original meaning: To wrestle or move with effort.
문화적 맥락
None, but can be a sensitive topic when discussing personal hardship.
It is often used in political and social contexts to describe movements for rights.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
at school
- struggle with math
- struggle to understand
- struggle with homework
at work
- struggle with deadlines
- struggle to finish
- struggle with the project
in daily life
- struggle to sleep
- struggle with money
- struggle to wake up
in sports
- struggle to score
- struggle with the pace
- struggle to win
Conversation Starters
"What is something you currently struggle with?"
"Do you find it easy to learn new languages, or do you struggle?"
"What is the biggest struggle you have faced this year?"
"How do you overcome your daily struggles?"
"Do you think it is good to struggle sometimes?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you struggled to learn a new skill.
Describe a struggle you overcame recently.
Why do people struggle with change?
Is struggling a necessary part of success?
자주 묻는 질문
8 질문It describes difficulty, but often implies resilience.
Yes, 'I struggle with my homework' is common.
It is neutral and used in all settings.
Struggled.
Yes, it means you find it hard to deal with them.
Yes, it can be a noun too.
Often, yes.
STRUG-ul.
셀프 테스트
I ___ to carry this heavy bag.
Struggle describes difficulty.
Which means to try hard?
Struggle implies effort.
You can struggle with a person.
You can struggle to get along with someone.
Word
뜻
Grammar patterns.
Subject + verb + to + infinitive.
The team is ___ to win the game.
Struggling fits the context of difficulty.
Which is an synonym for struggle?
Grapple is a synonym.
Struggle is always physical.
It can be mental or emotional.
The company ___ to maintain its market share.
Struggles fits the context of difficulty.
Word
뜻
Idiom meanings.
점수: /10
Summary
Struggle is the process of putting in extra effort to overcome a difficult challenge.
- Struggle means to try hard with difficulty.
- Use 'struggle with' for nouns and 'struggle to' for verbs.
- It is a common, neutral word for challenges.
- It has roots in wrestling and physical effort.
Memory Palace Trick
Visualize a 'Strong' person 'Ggling' (giggling) as they lift a heavy weight.
When Native Speakers Use It
When they are honest about finding work hard.
Cultural Insight
Often used in stories about 'the underdog'.
Grammar Shortcut
Struggle with + noun, Struggle to + verb.
