verb

strive

STRYV

verb

To make a great and sustained effort to achieve something.

"She strives to improve her writing with every draft."

"The company strives to reduce its carbon footprint each year."

How to Use Strive

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo try hard and keep trying to reach a goal.

Common mistake

Past tense is "strove" and the past participle is "striven" (not "strived," though that form is sometimes accepted informally).

Common pairings

strive for strive to achieve strive towards excellence

Word Forms

strove past tense, strived past tense, striven past tense, strive plural, strove plural, strived plural, strives singular, strive singular, strove singular, strived singular

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Can you complete this real example?

She _____ to improve her writing with every draft.

Etymology

From Old French estriver ("to compete, quarrel"), from a Frankish root meaning "to exert oneself." The English verb picked up irregular past forms (strove, striven) by analogy with verbs like "drive" and "ride."

Synonyms

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put keep &c. one's nose to the grindstone put one's back into give 110% break one's back work hard apply oneself put one's shoulder to the wheel

Related Words

abandon keep put stay prostitute idiot try rest

Rhymes for strive

Ive five give dive live hive jive vive olive drive alive waive

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put keep &c. one's nose to the grindstone put one's back into give 110% break one's back work hard apply oneself put one's shoulder to the wheel abandon stay prostitute