Strive

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Strive, v. i. [OF. estriver; of Teutonic origin, and akin to G. streben, D. streven, Dan. stræbe, Sw. sträfva. Cf. Strife.].

•  To make efforts; to use exertions; to endeavor with earnestness; to labor hard.  [1913 Webster]

  "Was for this his ambition strove
  To equal Cæsar first, and after, Jove?"  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "My Spirit shall not always strive with man."  [1913 Webster]

  "Why dost thou strive against him?"  [1913 Webster]

  "Now private pity strove with public hate,
  Reason with rage, and eloquence with fate."  [1913 Webster]
•  To vie; to compete; to be a rival.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "[Not] that sweet grove
  Of Daphne, by Orontes and the inspired
  Castalian spring, might with this paradise
  Of Eden strive."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To contend; vie; struggle; endeavor; aim.

Strive, n. 

•  An effort; a striving.  Chapman.  [1913 Webster]
•  Strife; contention.  Wyclif (luke xxi. 9).  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Strive, v.intr. (past strove; past part. striven)
1 (often foll. by for, or to + infin.) try hard, make efforts (strive to succeed).
2 (often foll. by with, against) struggle or contend.

Derivative

striver n.

Etymology

ME f. OF estriver, rel. to estrif STRIFE

THESAURUS

Strive

agonize, aim, aim to, assay, attempt, attempt to, battle, be determined, box, brawl, broil, buffet, clash, close, collide, combat, come to blows, compete, contend, contest, cut and thrust, dare to, drive, duel, endeavor, essay, exchange blows, fence, feud, fight, fight a duel, give and take, give satisfaction, go all out, grapple, grapple with, grunt and sweat, hassle, huff and puff, jostle, joust, labor, make every effort, mix it up, moil, offer, pretend to, quarrel, rassle, resolve, riot, run a tilt, scramble, scuffle, seek, seek to, skirmish, spar, strain, strive to, struggle, study, study to, sweat, sweat blood, thrust and parry, tilt, toil, tourney, travail, try, try and, try hard, try to, tug, tussle, undertake, venture to, wage war, war, work, work at, wrestle

ROGET THESAURUS

Strive

Essay

VB try, essay, experiment, endeavor, strive, tempt, attempt, make an attempt, venture, adventure, speculate, take one's chance, tempt fortune, try one's fortune, try one's luck, try one's hand, use one's endeavor, feel one's way, grope one's way, pick one's way, try hard, push, make a bold push, use one's best endeavor, do one's best.

Exertion

VB exert oneself, exert one's energies, tax one's energies, use exertion, labor, work, toil, moil, sweat, fag, drudge, slave, drag a lengthened chain, wade through, strive, stretch a long arm, pull, tug, ply, ply the oar, tug at the oar, do the work, take the laboring oar bestir oneself (be active), take trouble, trouble oneself, work hard, rough it, put forth one's strength, put forth a strong arm, fall to work, bend the bow, buckle to, set one's shoulder to the wheel, work like a horse, work like a cart horse, work like a galley slave, work like a coal heaver, labor day and night, work day and night, redouble one's efforts, do double duty, work double hours, work double tides, sit up, burn the candle at both ends, stick to, work one's way, fight one's way, lay about one, hammer at, take pains, do one's best, do one's level best, do one's utmost, give one hundred percent, do the best one can, do all one can, do all in one's power, do as much as in one lies, do what lies in one's power, use one's best endeavor, use one's utmost endeavor, try one's best, try one's utmost, play one's best card, put one's best leg foremost, put one's right leg foremost, have one's whole soul in his work, put all one's strength into, strain every nerve, spare no efforts, spare no pains, go all lengths, go through fire and water, move heaven and earth, leave no stone unturned.

Contention

VB contend, contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle, spar, square, exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs, fib, justle, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence, skirmish, pickeer, fight, wrangle, contend with, grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush, with, tilt with, encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw, run a tilt at, oppose, reluct, join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand, take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet, enter the lists, couch one's lance, give satisfaction, appeal to arms, lay about one, break the peace, compete with, cope with, vie with, race with, outvie, emulate, rival, run a race, contend for, stipulate for, stickle for, insist upon, make a point of.