battle
verb/ˈbætl/
/ˈbætl/
[intransitive, transitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they battle | /ˈbætl/ /ˈbætl/ |
| he / she / it battles | /ˈbætlz/ /ˈbætlz/ |
| past simple battled | /ˈbætld/ /ˈbætld/ |
| past participle battled | /ˈbætld/ /ˈbætld/ |
| -ing form battling | /ˈbætlɪŋ/ /ˈbætlɪŋ/ |
- to try very hard to achieve something difficult or to deal with something unpleasant or dangerous
- Both teams battled hard.
- battle for something The two leaders are battling for control of the government.
- battle with somebody/something She's still battling with a knee injury.
- battle against somebody/something We had to battle against the elements to reach safety.
- battle over something Residents are battling over plans for a new airport runway.
- battle it out The two sides will battle it out in the final next week.
- battle + adv. It’s vital that we keep battling away at the problem.
- battle to do something Doctors battled to keep her alive.
- I had to battle hard just to stay afloat.
- battle something He battled cancer for four years.
Extra ExamplesTopics Successb2, Difficulty and failureb2- The players have battled hard.
- Doctors battled in vain to save his life.
- He battled with cancer for many months.
- Riot police battled with 4 000 students.
- Rescuers battled against torrential rain and high winds.
- The child battled bravely for her life.
- The victims are battling for compensation.
- There are players from eight countries battling for the title.
- Unions are battling with the company over the job losses.
- Competitors battled it out against the clock.
- We battled through the snowstorm.
- We'll keep battling away and hope that the goals start to come.
- He battled his way to the bar.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- ferociously
- fiercely
- hard
- …
- against
- for
- over
- …
- battle it out
- battle your way
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French bataille (noun), bataillier (verb), based on late Latin battualia ‘military or gladiatorial exercises’, from Latin battuere ‘to beat’.Want to learn more?
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battle