C2 to try very hard to do something or to make something happen, especially for a long time or against difficulties:
[ + to infinitive ] Mr Roe has kindled expectations that he must now strive to live up to.
In her writing she strove for a balance between innovation and familiar prose forms.
More examples
- We must strive to narrow the gap between rich and poor.
- We strive to ensure that all children are treated equally.
- We strive for perfection but sometimes have to accept something less.
- We are constantly striving to improve our service.
- The former leader now has to watch his successor unpicking much of what he strived so hard to achieve.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
