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 Racial strife and police abuses riled the city after the 1989 murder of Carol Stuart — a pregnant white woman from the suburbs — whose murder was blamed on a young Black man by her husband, the actual killer. —Joshua Crawford, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025 She was surprisingly left off the USA Olympic team, faced marital strife and mourned the loss of Summitt, who died of complications from Alzheimer’s. —Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025 In addition to strife in the Middle East, seasonal trends are at play. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 Ostensibly a story about strife in the gritty Rio de Janeiro favelas, the film becomes a sweet and earnest parable about one man trying against all odds to offer his community some respite from the injustice that engulfs it. —Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 June 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
  • For more than six decades, the treaty survived the subcontinental wars and discord but has come under significant strain after India suspended its participation in the treaty after the April terrorist attack in Kashmir.
    — Sam Dalrymple, Time, 14 July 2025
  • This should involve respectful discord, finding a shared vision and moving forward with trust.
    — James Barlow, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Definition of discord
Noun
  • The plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged Amazon didn't consider the Falcon 9 due to an intense and personal rivalry between Bezos and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025
  • However, the trade rivalry between the U.S. and China has been weighing heavily on the industry.
    — Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 15 July 2025
Definition of rivalry
Noun
  • The common thread is technology that removes friction, creates visibility and adapts to changing needs.
    — Alaa Pasha, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • For sure, this can prove too sanguine and perhaps there will be unanticipated economic friction ahead.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 July 2025
Definition of friction
Noun
  • More struggles result in prosperity Another fight would also call for Jones' leadership in action.
    — Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
  • As the citizens of the state struggle to seize power back from an autocratic government, the story centers on Jamil, a war zone courier/smuggler, and Zora, a young leader in the Mulholland Resistance, who attempt to escape Occupied Los Angeles, a city under martial law.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Definition of struggle
Noun
  • These negotiations come at a particularly fraught moment, following a 12-day conflict triggered by Israeli attacks on Iranian targets.
    — Amir Daftari Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
  • More than 130,000 people have been evacuated from conflict areas in Thailand, where the death toll rose to 15 as of early Friday, 14 of those civilians, according to the health ministry.
    — Shoon Naing, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • Coming weeks after Lexington and Concord, the battle marked the British effort to control the hills surrounding Boston’s harbor.
    — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 19 July 2025
  • The injuries that eventually cut the third baseman’s career short began to take hold right before Forde lost a years-long battle with breast cancer.
    — Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
Definition of battle
Noun
  • The cumulative effect of crises on top of crises — from war, to daily explosions suspected to be sabotage, to skyrocketing inflation, to water and power cuts — has many Iranians reeling.
    — Leily Nikounazar Arash Khamooshi, New York Times, 26 July 2025
  • The team behind 20 Days In Mariupol documents the toll of the Russia-Ukraine war from a personal and devastating vantage point.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 25 July 2025
Definition of war
Noun
  • The defeat of the Islamic State in Kobani—with significant American air support—energized the PKK, which started a campaign of urban warfare and tried to take over cities in southeastern Turkey.
    — Ragip Soylu, Time, 18 July 2025
  • Military officials have suggested that the bot operation may be part of a wider effort involving Russia, a longtime practitioner of digital influence warfare.
    — Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 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 29 Jul. 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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