strife

[strahyf]

noun

1. vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism.

   to be at strife.

   Synonyms: opposition, contrariety, disagreement, difference
   Antonyms: peace

2. a quarrel, struggle, or clash.

   armed strife.

   Synonyms: conflict, fight
   Antonyms: peace

3. competition or rivalry.

   the strife of the marketplace.

4. Archaic.,  strenuous effort.

strife

/ straɪf /

noun

1. angry or violent struggle; conflict

2. rivalry or contention, esp of a bitter kind

3. trouble or discord of any kind

   to get into strife

4. archaic,  striving

Other Word Forms

• strifeful adjective
• strifeless adjective
• understrife noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of strife¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English strif, from Old French estrif, akin to estriver; strive

Word History and Origins

Origin of strife¹

C13: from Old French estrif, probably from estriver to _strive

Example Sentences

The venue that helped launch Phoebe Bridgers couldn’t survive the fatal combination of the economic stress of the pandemic and ownership strife.

From Los Angeles Times

The city had its share of racial strife over the years, with some Latino migrants feeling they were mistreated by a white majority that also owned the farms where they worked.

From Los Angeles Times

As the 1930s begin, a new age is set to unfold, one of international political and economic strife and looming talk of war.

From Salon

There are too many jobs that need filling north of the border, he said, and too much poverty and strife south of it.

From Los Angeles Times

The strife in recent days adds to the challenges facing Syria’s fledgling government, which is headed by a one-time Al Qaeda-affiliated rebel faction that ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad late last year.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• animosity 
• bickering 
• clash 
• conflict 
• controversy 
• disagreement 
• discord 
• dispute 
• dissension 
• disunity 
• fighting 
• friction 
• quarrel 
• rivalry 
• squabble 
• warfare 
• wrangle 
• wrangling www.thesaurus.com