Quick Answer: Synonyms for strive include endeavor, try, attempt, aim, pursue, seek, struggle, work, push, and labor. Use endeavor for formal writing, try for casual speech, aim when focusing on a goal, pursue when following a serious objective, seek when looking for improvement or success, struggle when effort includes difficulty, and work when describing steady action toward progress.
Pronunciation and Word Details
Word: Strive.
Pronunciation: /straɪv/
Part of Speech: Verb.
Meaning: To strive means to make a strong effort to achieve something important, difficult, or valuable.
US Pronunciation:
UK Pronunciation:
What Does “Strive” Mean?
Direct Answer: Strive means to try very hard to reach a goal, improve a situation, or achieve something meaningful.
The word strive is a verb. It describes serious effort, strong intention, and continued action. It is stronger than try because it usually suggests patience, discipline, and determination.
You can use strive with to before an action. A person may strive to improve, strive to succeed, or strive to learn. You can use strive with for before a goal. A person may strive for excellence, strive for peace, or strive for success.
Meaning, Tone, and Context of “Strive”
Strive has a serious, positive, and determined tone. It is often used when someone is working toward a meaningful goal. The word sounds more formal than try and more purposeful than attempt.
Formal Context: Strive works well in essays, speeches, reports, personal statements, and professional writing.
Casual Context: Strive can be used in everyday speech, but it may sound more serious than simple words like try or work.
Academic Context: Strive is useful when discussing learning, achievement, progress, ethics, values, or improvement.
Emotional Context: Strive can show hope, courage, ambition, discipline, and persistence.
Professional Context: Strive is common when writing about quality, service, leadership, goals, standards, and performance.
When and How to Use “Strive”
For Goals: Use strive when someone is working hard to achieve an important result.
Example: She strives to become a better writer every day.
For Improvement: Use strive when someone wants to become better, stronger, wiser, or more skilled.
Example: Good students strive to improve through practice and feedback.
For Excellence: Use strive when the goal is high quality or outstanding performance.
Example: The team strives for excellence in every project.
For Values: Use strive when someone works toward peace, fairness, honesty, success, or positive change.
Example: Leaders should strive for fairness in every decision.
For Difficult Effort: Use strive when the goal is not easy and requires patience.
Example: Many people strive to overcome fear and build confidence.
Best Synonyms for Strive
Endeavor: To make a serious and formal effort.
Example: The school endeavors to support every learner.
Try: To make an effort to do something.
Example: I will try to finish the work today.
Attempt: To make an effort, especially when success is not certain.
Example: He attempted to solve the difficult problem.
Aim: To have a goal or purpose.
Example: The program aims to improve reading skills.
Pursue: To follow a goal with strong interest and effort.
Example: She pursued a career in medicine.
Seek: To look for or work toward something.
Example: They seek better opportunities for their future.
Struggle: To make great effort during difficulty.
Example: He struggled to stay calm under pressure.
Work: To make steady effort toward a result.
Example: She worked hard to improve her writing.
Push: To make strong effort with energy and determination.
Example: The coach pushed the players to perform better.
Labor: To work hard, often for a long time.
Example: They labored to complete the task before night.
50 Synonyms for Strive with Short Meanings
- Endeavor: Make a serious effort.
- Try: Make an effort.
- Attempt: Try to do something difficult.
- Aim: Work toward a goal.
- Pursue: Follow a goal seriously.
- Seek: Work to find or achieve something.
- Work: Put effort into a task.
- Struggle: Work hard through difficulty.
- Push: Make strong effort.
- Labor: Work with great effort.
- Toil: Work hard for a long time.
- Aspire: Strongly want to achieve something.
- Hope: Want something to happen.
- Fight: Make effort against difficulty.
- Battle: Struggle against a challenge.
- Compete: Try to win or succeed.
- Apply yourself: Work with focus and effort.
- Exert yourself: Use strong physical or mental effort.
- Persevere: Continue despite difficulty.
- Persist: Keep trying.
- Press on: Continue with determination.
- Keep going: Continue making effort.
- Make an effort: Try with intention.
- Do your best: Try as well as possible.
- Give your all: Use full effort.
- Put in effort: Spend energy on a task.
- Work toward: Move closer to a goal.
- Reach for: Try to achieve something high.
- Go after: Try to get or achieve something.
- Chase: Try to achieve or obtain something.
- Drive toward: Move with strong purpose.
- Focus on: Give attention to a goal.
- Commit to: Stay dedicated to something.
- Dedicate yourself: Give strong effort and attention.
- Devote yourself: Give time and energy to a goal.
- Sweat: Work hard in a casual sense.
- Grind: Work hard for a long time.
- Hustle: Work actively and energetically.
- Press: Push forward with effort.
- Wrestle: Struggle with a problem or challenge.
- Grapple: Work hard to deal with something difficult.
- Contend: Struggle or compete against difficulty.
- Vie: Compete for success or position.
- Reach: Try to get to a goal.
- Advance: Move forward with effort.
- Improve: Become better through effort.
- Develop: Grow or become stronger.
- Progress: Move forward toward success.
- Overcome: Succeed despite difficulty.
- Achieve: Reach a goal through effort.
Read Also:
Synonyms for Natural
Synonyms for Strive by Context
When Strive Means Try Hard
Try: I will try to complete the assignment today.
Endeavor: The organization endeavors to serve the community well.
Attempt: She attempted to answer every question correctly.
Make an effort: He made an effort to understand the lesson.
When Strive Means Work Toward a Goal
Aim: The project aims to improve public safety.
Pursue: She pursued her dream with patience.
Seek: They seek a better future through education.
Work toward: He is working toward a healthier lifestyle.
When Strive Means Face Difficulty
Struggle: Many learners struggle to master new grammar rules.
Battle: She battled doubt while preparing for the exam.
Grapple: The team grappled with a complex problem.
Persevere: He persevered through every setback.
When Strive Means Show Ambition
Aspire: Young writers aspire to publish meaningful work.
Reach for: She reached for higher standards.
Chase: He chased success with discipline.
Go after: They went after their goals with confidence.
When Strive Means Continue With Determination
Persist: She persisted until she found the answer.
Press on: The group pressed on despite the delay.
Keep going: He kept going even when progress was slow.
Push: The athlete pushed harder during training.
Another Word for Strive
Direct Answer: Another word for strive is endeavor, especially in formal writing. The best alternative depends on context. Use try for simple effort, pursue for long term goals, seek for desired results, and struggle when the effort includes hardship.
Original: She strives to become a confident speaker.
Better Option: She endeavors to become a confident speaker.
Original: He strives for success in his career.
Better Option: He pursues success in his career.
Original: They strive to find a fair solution.
Better Option: They seek a fair solution.
Original: Students strive to improve their vocabulary.
Better Option: Students work to improve their vocabulary.
When Not to Use “Strive”
Do not use strive when the action is simple, casual, or not very serious. The word can sound too formal if you only mean try. It can also feel repetitive if used too often in the same paragraph.
Weak: I strive to open the door.
Better: I try to open the door.
Weak: She strives to drink a glass of water.
Better: She tries to drink a glass of water.
Weak: The report strives to show the numbers.
Better: The report aims to show the numbers.
Weak: He strives and strives every day to strive for success.
Better: He works hard every day to achieve success.
Words Commonly Confused With Strive
Strive vs Try: Try is simple and common, while strive suggests stronger and more serious effort.
Strive vs Attempt: Attempt focuses on making an effort, while strive focuses on continued effort toward a goal.
Strive vs Aspire: Aspire means to strongly want to achieve something, while strive means to actively work toward it.
Strive vs Pursue: Pursue means to follow a goal or path, while strive emphasizes the effort used to reach it.
Strive vs Struggle: Struggle suggests difficulty or hardship, while strive can be positive and goal focused without always implying suffering.
Strive vs Seek: Seek means to look for or work toward something, while strive highlights strong effort and determination.
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Choose endeavor: When writing formally about serious effort, goals, service, improvement, or responsibility.
Choose try: When speaking casually or describing a simple effort.
Choose attempt: When success is uncertain or the action is challenging.
Choose aim: When the sentence focuses on purpose, direction, or intention.
Choose pursue: When someone follows a goal, career, dream, plan, or ambition over time.
Choose seek: When someone is looking for improvement, support, answers, success, peace, or opportunity.
Choose struggle: When effort includes difficulty, pressure, pain, or resistance.
Choose work: When describing steady, practical effort.
Choose push: When the sentence needs energy, motivation, or force.
Choose persevere: When someone continues despite problems, delays, or failure.
Real Life Examples of “Strive” in Sentences
Original: She strives to improve her English every day.
Better Option: She works to improve her English every day.
Original: The company strives for better customer service.
Better Option: The company aims for better customer service.
Original: He strives to become a successful doctor.
Better Option: He pursues a career as a successful doctor.
Original: Students should strive for excellence.
Better Option: Students should aim for excellence.
Original: They strive to create a peaceful home.
Better Option: They seek to create a peaceful home.
Original: The team strives to win every match.
Better Option: The team pushes to win every match.
Original: She strives to overcome her fear.
Better Option: She struggles to overcome her fear.
Original: We strive to make better decisions.
Better Option: We endeavor to make better decisions.
Original: He strives to stay focused during exams.
Better Option: He works to stay focused during exams.
Original: Leaders strive to build trust.
Better Option: Leaders seek to build trust.
Synonym Groups and Usage Differences
Effort Group
This group includes words that show someone is trying hard to do something. Use these words when the main idea is action and effort.
Example: She tries to stay focused during long study sessions.
Goal Group
This group includes words that show direction, purpose, or ambition. Use these words when the sentence is about reaching a target.
Example: He aims to build a successful career.
Difficulty Group
This group includes words that show effort through problems or hardship. Use these words when the situation is challenging.
Example: They struggled to finish the work on time.
Determination Group
This group includes words that show persistence and refusal to give up. Use these words when someone continues despite difficulty.
Example: She persevered until she achieved her goal.
Ambition Group
This group includes words that show strong desire for growth, success, or improvement. Use these words when the sentence has a motivational tone.
Example: He aspires to become a respected teacher.
Antonyms of Strive
Ignore: To pay no attention to a goal or task.
Neglect: To fail to care for or work on something.
Avoid: To stay away from effort, responsibility, or difficulty.
Quit: To stop trying before the goal is reached.
Give up: To stop making effort.
Surrender: To stop resisting or trying.
Relax: To stop working hard or take rest.
Rest: To stop activity for recovery.
Drift: To move without clear effort or direction.
Abandon: To leave a goal, plan, or effort unfinished.
Comparison: Strive vs Related Words
Strive vs Endeavor
Difference: Strive is strong and goal focused, while endeavor sounds more formal and polished.
Example With Strive: She strives to improve her leadership skills.
Example With Endeavor: She endeavors to improve her leadership skills.
Strive vs Try
Difference: Try is simple and common, while strive suggests deeper effort and stronger purpose.
Example With Strive: He strives to become more disciplined.
Example With Try: He tries to become more disciplined.
Strive vs Attempt
Difference: Attempt focuses on making an effort once or in a specific situation, while strive suggests continued effort over time.
Example With Strive: They strive to solve community problems.
Example With Attempt: They attempted to solve the problem.
Strive vs Pursue
Difference: Pursue focuses on following a goal, while strive focuses on the effort needed to reach it.
Example With Strive: She strives to become a lawyer.
Example With Pursue: She pursues a career in law.
Strive vs Struggle
Difference: Struggle emphasizes difficulty, while strive emphasizes determined effort.
Example With Strive: He strives to stay positive.
Example With Struggle: He struggles to stay positive.
Common Phrases and Expressions With Strive
Strive for Excellence: Work hard to reach a high standard.
Strive for Success: Make strong effort to succeed.
Strive to Improve: Work hard to become better.
Strive to Achieve: Make effort to reach a goal.
Strive Toward a Goal: Move with effort in the direction of a target.
Strive for Peace: Work seriously to create calm or harmony.
Strive for Balance: Try to manage different parts of life well.
Strive for Progress: Work to move forward.
Strive to Learn: Make effort to gain knowledge or skill.
Strive Every Day: Continue making effort daily.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using Strive for Small Actions: Do not use strive for simple actions like opening a window, eating lunch, or sending a message. Use try instead.
Repeating Strive Too Often: Avoid using strive many times in one paragraph. Replace it with aim, pursue, work, or seek when needed.
Confusing Strive With Aspire: Aspire shows desire, while strive shows effort. A person can aspire to become a doctor and strive to pass exams.
Using the Wrong Preposition: Use strive to before an action and strive for before a goal.
Choosing a Weak Synonym: Do not replace strive with a word that removes the meaning of effort. For example, want is not always strong enough.
Making the Sentence Too Formal: In casual speech, try or work on may sound more natural than strive.
Conclusion
Synonyms for strive help you describe effort, ambition, persistence, and goal focused action more clearly. Use endeavor for formal writing, try for simple effort, aim for purpose, pursue for long term goals, seek for desired results, and struggle when difficulty is involved. The best synonym depends on tone and context. When writing about growth, success, learning, improvement, or excellence, choose a word that matches both the effort and the situation.
FAQs About Synonyms for Strive
What is the best synonym for strive?
Answer: The best synonym for strive is endeavor in formal writing and try in casual speech.
What does strive mean in simple words?
Answer: Strive means to try very hard to achieve something important or difficult.
Is strive a formal word?
Answer: Yes, strive sounds somewhat formal, but it is also common in motivational, academic, and professional writing.
What is another word for strive for success?
Answer: Another word for strive for success is pursue success, aim for success, or work toward success.
What is the difference between strive and try?
Answer: Try means to make an effort, while strive means to try hard with strong purpose and determination.
What is a strong synonym for strive?
Answer: Strong synonyms for strive include persevere, endeavor, push, struggle, and pursue.
What is the opposite of strive?
Answer: The opposite of strive can be give up, quit, neglect, avoid, or abandon, depending on the sentence.
