Definitions

strove

[strohv] / stroʊv /

VERB

try for, exert oneself

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aim endeavor go all out seek tackle

STRONG

assay attempt compete contend drive essay fight hassle jockey labor moil offer push scramble strain struggle sweat toil tug work

WEAK

bear down bend over backward break one's neck do one's best do one's utmost go after go for broke go for the jugular go the limit knock oneself out leave no stone unturned make every effort shoot for take on try hard

Antonyms

STRONGEST

neglect

STRONG

agree discourage dissuade idle laze make peace relax repress rest surrender yield

WEAK

forget skip

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Silverblatt said he strove to read an author’s entire body of work, but he never claimed to have read it all if he hadn’t.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

Less attention has been paid to the ways in which enslaved people strove for emancipation through acts of resistance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

There were some carers who strove to make the lives of residents better and who managed to carve out time in their busy days to engage but those moments were few and far between.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

A 2022 Nature study strove to settle the debate, presenting evidence that Spinosaurus was an underwater hunter.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 8, 2024

He pushed and he strove, and eventually one of the cat’s feet was lifted above the ground.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman