strife
/stɹaɪf/ · strif
noun
- Earnest endeavor or hard work. The athlete's years of strife paid off with a gold medal at the Olympics.
- Exertion or contention for superiority, either by physical or intellectual means. The two companies engaged in a fierce strife for market dominance.
- Bitter conflict, sometimes violent. The civil war was a long and brutal strife that left the country devastated.
Did you know? The word 'strife' has been used in various literary works, including Shakespeare's 'Henry IV, Part 1', where it is used to describe the conflict between King Henry IV and his son Prince Hal.