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struggler

C2
noun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /strˈʌɡlə/

US

  • /strˈʌɡlər/

Description

A "struggler" is a person who has a hard time dealing with life, work, school, money, or some other challenge. The word usually suggests ongoing difficulty rather than one bad moment. A struggler may still be trying hard, but things are not going smoothly for them. You might use it for a student who cannot keep up in class, a worker who cannot find steady success, or a family trying to get by on very little money. The tone is often sympathetic because it points to effort as well as difficulty.

Examples

  1. 1

    School difficulty

    He was a struggler at school, especially in math.

  2. 2

    College support

    The college offers extra tutoring for first-year strugglers.

    • Phrase

      first-year strugglers

      students who are having a hard time in their first year

  3. 3

    Elderly poverty

    The charity focuses on elderly strugglers who can no longer afford rent and heating.

  4. 4

    Urban life

    Her films are often about dreamers, outsiders, and everyday strugglers in the city.

See also

nouna person who has difficulty but keeps trying

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • a struggling student
  • a struggling artist
  • struggle with

Word family

Explore

  • resilience
  • perseverance

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • strugglernoun