strife

noun

ˈstrīf How to pronounce strife (audio)
Definition of strifenext
1
as in discord
a lack of agreement or harmony in order to avoid family strife, the children spend equal time during the holidays with both of their grandmothers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another bitter strife between the two political factions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun strife contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of strife are conflict, contention, discord, dissension, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

When is it sensible to use conflict instead of strife?

While the synonyms conflict and strife are close in meaning, conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

In what contexts can contention take the place of strife?

The words contention and strife can be used in similar contexts, but contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When could discord be used to replace strife?

While in some cases nearly identical to strife, discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When might dissension be a better fit than strife?

The words dissension and strife are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

When would variance be a good substitute for strife?

In some situations, the words variance and strife are roughly equivalent. However, variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strife After years of strife for the California film and television industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom in October proposed a significant increase to the overall cap on incentives, more than doubling it from $330 million to $750M annually. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 11 May 2025 The status allows people already in the United States to live and work legally because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife. —Time, 2 May 2025 The status allows people already in the United States to live and work legally because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to a natural disaster or civil strife. —Mark Sherman and Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025 Michelle Obama is throwing more cold water on rumors of marital strife with the ex-commander in chief. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for strife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strife
  1. discord
  2. rivalry
  3. friction
  4. struggle
  5. conflict
  6. battle
  7. war
  8. warfare
Noun
  • Gone was the discord and rudeness that is often synonymous with the Big Apple.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025
  • Evidently, the discord stemmed from their division of labor.
    — Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Definition of discord
Noun
  • At times, the rivalry between the players has become the biggest topic of discussion in sports and eclipsed the athletic world, raising issues of race and gender equality.
    — Sean Neumann, People.com, 20 May 2025
  • This is a space that is ripe for standardization, the entry of new players in the market, and more vendor rivalries and drama.
    — John Burek, PC Magazine, 20 May 2025
Definition of rivalry
Noun
  • The organizations have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies.
    — Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • Han and Li’s student-teacher relationship in particular is diluted and lacks necessary grounding, and there’s little compelling friction between the two masters to make up for it.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 28 May 2025
Definition of friction
Noun
  • Barry Keoghan is sharing something deeply personal about his struggle with sobriety.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • But that progress on paper does not mean the struggle is over.
    — Danaya Wilson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Definition of struggle
Noun
  • On April 10, tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports, including fireworks, climbed as high as 145% as a tit-for-tat trade conflict between China and the United States escalated.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
  • Despite the conflict, many are not familiar with the K’nyaw people.
    — Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • As a 60-person battle royale, matches can be extremely long and, in tournament play, repeat over and over for hours until a winning team can be crowned.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
  • Salter is also in a quarterback battle with true freshman Julian Lewis.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2025
Definition of battle
Noun
  • In fact, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated outright that ending the war is not going to happen until Hamas disarms and moves out of Gaza, two conditions the Palestinian terrorist group views as surrender terms.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
  • Trump, who was inaugurated on January 20, had campaigned on a promise to end the war within 24 hours of his return to office.
    — Isabel van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Definition of war
Noun
  • The exercises were designed, NATO said, to hone their skills, military capabilities and cooperation for extreme cold weather warfare.
    — Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 May 2025
  • The Department of Defense's bureaucratic inertia is ill-suited to the demands of real-time, adaptive AI warfare.
    — Charles Beames, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Definition of warfare

Browse Nearby Words

striding
strife
strifes
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Cite this Entry

“Strife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strife. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on strife

Nglish: Translation of strife for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about strife

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