struggle – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of struggle

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to struggle
Participle: struggled
Gerund: struggling

Cognates

See the 2 cognates of struggle

Indicative

Present

Istruggle
youstruggle
he;she;itstruggles
westruggle
youstruggle
theystruggle

Perfect

Ihave struggled
youhave struggled
he;she;ithas struggled
wehave struggled
youhave struggled
theyhave struggled

Past

Istruggled
youstruggled
he;she;itstruggled
westruggled
youstruggled
theystruggled

Pluperfect

Ihad struggled
youhad struggled
he;she;ithad struggled
wehad struggled
youhad struggled
theyhad struggled

Future

Iwill struggle
youwill struggle
he;she;itwill struggle
wewill struggle
youwill struggle
theywill struggle

Future Perfect

Iwill have struggled
youwill have struggled
he;she;itwill have struggled
wewill have struggled
youwill have struggled
theywill have struggled

Subjunctive

Present

Istruggle
youstruggle
he;she;itstruggle
westruggle
youstruggle
theystruggle

Perfect

Ihave struggled
youhave struggled
he;she;ithave struggled
wehave struggled
youhave struggled
theyhave struggled

Imperfect

Istruggled
youstruggled
he;she;itstruggled
westruggled
youstruggled
theystruggled

Pluperfect

Ihad struggled
youhad struggled
he;she;ithad struggled
wehad struggled
youhad struggled
theyhad struggled

Conditional

Present

Iwould struggle
youwould struggle
he;she;itwould struggle
wewould struggle
youwould struggle
theywould struggle

Perfect

Iwould have struggled
youwould have struggled
he;she;itwould have struggled
wewould have struggled
youwould have struggled
theywould have struggled

Imperative

youstruggle
weLet's struggle
youstruggle

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam struggling
youare struggling
he;she;itis struggling
weare struggling
youare struggling
theyare struggling

Perfect

Ihave been struggling
youhave been struggling
he;she;ithas been struggling
wehave been struggling
youhave been struggling
theyhave been struggling

Past

Iwas struggling
youwere struggling
he;she;itwas struggling
wewere struggling
youwere struggling
theywere struggling

Pluperfect

Ihad been struggling
youhad been struggling
he;she;ithad been struggling
wehad been struggling
youhad been struggling
theyhad been struggling

Future

Iwill be struggling
youwill be struggling
he;she;itwill be struggling
wewill be struggling
youwill be struggling
theywill be struggling

Future Perfect

Iwill have been struggling
youwill have been struggling
he;she;itwill have been struggling
wewill have been struggling
youwill have been struggling
theywill have been struggling

Conditional

Present

Iwould be struggling
youwould be struggling
he;she;itwould be struggling
wewould be struggling
youwould be struggling
theywould be struggling

Perfect

Iwould have been struggling
youwould have been struggling
he;she;itwould have been struggling
wewould have been struggling
youwould have been struggling
theywould have been struggling

Other

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

fight
battle, clash, conflict, skirmish, strife, contest, encounter, brush
work
toil, labor

Antonyms

work
idleness, leisure, rest, inertia

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

1. c.1386, probably a frequentative form, of uncertain origin. Skeat suggests O.N. strugr "ill will;" others suggest a connection to Du. struikelen, Ger. straucheln "to stumble." The noun is first recorded 1692.
2. From Middle English struglen, stroglen, strogelen, of obscure origin; perhaps from a variant of *strokelen, *stroukelen (> English stroll), from Middle Dutch struyckelen ("to stumble, trip, falter"; > Modern Dutch struikelen), the frequentative form of Old Dutch *strūkon (“to stumble”), from Proto-Germanic *strūkōną, *strūkēną (“to be stiff”), from Proto-Indo-European *strug-, *ster- (“to be stiff; to bristle, strut, stumble, fall”),
3. Cognate with Scots strugil (“to struggle, grapple, contend”). Also related to Middle Low German strûkelen ("to stumble"; > Low German strükeln), Old High German strūhhēn, strūhhōn ("to stumble, trip, tumble, go astray"; > German strauchen, straucheln).
4. Alternative etymology derives the base of struggle from Old Norse strúgr (“arrogance, pride, spitefulness, ill-will”) + -le (frequentative suffix), from Proto-Germanic *strūkaz (“stiff, rigid”), ultimately from the same Proto-Indo-European root above, which would make it cognate with dialectal Swedish strug (“contention, strife, discord”), Norwegian stru (“obstinate, unruly”), Danish struende (“reluctantly”), Scots strug (“difficulty, perplexity, a laborious task”). See: Old Dutch '*strūkon', Low Saxon 'strükeln', German, old spelling 'strauchen', Danish 'struende'.

Verbs referencing "struggle"

Dutch struggelen.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] this could not be a stranger; she therefore felt her hands very eagerly, while her countenance assumed an expression of intense interest; she became very pale; and then suddenly red; hope seemed struggling with doubt and anxiety, and never were contending emotions more strongly painted upon the human face: at this moment of painful uncertainty, the mother drew her close to her side, and kissed her [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Something, perhaps, of such thoughts struggled through Eva's mind. But a child's thoughts are rather dim, undefined instincts; and in Eva's noble nature many such were yearning and working, for which she had no power of utterance. When Miss [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] ” said the child, with a last effort, throwing her arms about his neck. In a moment they dropped again; and, as St. Clare raised his head, he saw a spasm of mortal agony pass over the face,—she struggled for breath, and threw up her little hands. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] ! ” she broke out, at last, “ it's of no use, this you 've been trying to do. You were a brave fellow,—you had the right on your side; but it's all in vain, and out of the question, for you to struggle. You are in the devil's hands; — he is the strongest, and you must give up ! ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] and he could not draw his breath; and then he thought voices _whispered_ to him,—whispers that chilled him with horror. Then it seemed to him he was on the edge of a frightful abyss, holding on and struggling in mortal fear, while dark hands stretched up, and were pulling him over; and Cassy came behind him laughing, and pushed him. And then rose up that solemn veiled figure, and drew aside the veil. It [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] oppressed one,—an ever-present Saviour hallowed it as a temple. Past now the bleeding of earthly regrets; past its fluctuations of hope, and fear, and desire; the human will, bent, and bleeding, and struggling long, was now entirely merged in the Divine. So short now seemed the remaining voyage of life,—so near, so vivid, seemed eternal blessedness,—that life's uttermost woes fell from him unharming. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] It was his mother's shroud, he thought; but Cassy had it, holding it up, and showing it to him. He heard a confused noise of screams and groanings; and, with it all, he knew he was asleep, and he struggled to wake himself. He was half awake. He was sure something was coming into his room. He knew the door was opening, but he could not stir hand or foot. At last he turned, with a start; the door _was_ [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • On mine as well? Full bars, use mine. (Sammy struggles to breathe ) (A Song from the Dark)