strive
Base form
strive
/straɪv/
Past simple
strove / strived
/strəʊv/ /straɪvd/
Past participle
striven / strived
/ˈstrɪvn/ /straɪvd/
MeaningC1
to try very hard to achieve something
to strive for perfection
In use
- After a modal verb · Form 1We must always strive to do better.
- Negative · Form 1Don’t strive for perfection — good is good enough.
- Past simple · Form 2As a young athlete, she strove to win every race.
- Past simple · Form 2Last year the team strove hard but finished second.
- Present perfect · Form 3We have striven to keep our prices low.
- Past perfect · Form 3He had striven all his life to make his parents proud.
Watch out
Like drive: strove, then striven; strived is also right. Stroved and strivened are wrong.
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