What does struggling mean?
“Struggling” means experiencing difficulty or making a determined effort to overcome an obstacle, hardship, or opposing force. It is commonly used with “to” before an infinitive, as in “struggle to finish,” and can also describe people or organizations trying to survive, compete, or continue under difficult circumstances. The word often carries an emotional sense of effort, pressure, or uncertainty, but it does not necessarily imply final failure: someone may struggle successfully by persisting. In financial contexts, “struggling” can describe a person or business having difficulty meeting expenses or maintaining stability. Because the term is flexible, it can refer both to the difficulty itself and to the ongoing effort made in response to it.
To experience difficulty or make a determined effort to overcome difficulty, adversity, or an opposing force.
"The students struggled with the unfamiliar instructions."
Often used with “to” followed by an infinitive: “struggle to breathe,” “struggle to adapt.”
Having difficulty succeeding, operating, or maintaining one's position; beset by hardship.
"The struggling business sought additional investment."
This use is normally attributive and may describe a person, organization, economy, or other entity.
The word “struggling” captures both the effort of trying and the painful difficulty that makes trying necessary.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does struggling come from?
The present-participle and gerund form “struggling” was formed from the English verb “struggle” by adding the suffix “-ing.” “Struggle” is attested in Middle English, although its precise historical origin is uncertain. The related English noun “struggler” developed from the same verb and denotes a person who struggles or contends with difficulty.
Related word forms
How struggling is actually used
The word is widely used in both formal and informal contexts. It can describe a momentary difficulty, a sustained effort, or a prolonged condition of hardship, with the intended sense usually clear from context.
Easily confused with struggling
Struggling emphasizes an effort against difficulty or hardship, whereas strain often emphasizes the pressure, tension, or exertion involved.
Struggling is a general term for difficulty or determined effort, while a scuffle specifically involves a brief physical fight or noisy struggle.