battle and struggle share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. battle means “a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war”. struggle means “make a strenuous or labored effort”. battle is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbætəl/
1.n.a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
“Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga”
2.n.an energetic attempt to achieve something
“getting through the crowd was a real struggle”
3.n.an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)
“the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph”
/ˈstɹʌɡəl/
1.v.make a strenuous or labored effort
“She struggled for years to survive without welfare”
2.v.to exert strenuous effort against opposition
“he struggled to get free from the rope”
3.v.climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
| battle | struggle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbætəl/ | /ˈstɹʌɡəl/ |
| Said | BAT-uhl | STRUHG-uhl |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 7 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | conflict, fight, engagement | fight |
Full entry for battle · Full entry for struggle · More comparisons