Challenges and Struggles: English Vocabulary List

to resist or endure the force, pressure, or challenges imposed upon oneself

"The building can withstand strong earthquakes."

"The building is designed to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude eight on the Richter scale without collapsing."

to continue a course of action, especially in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success

"You must persevere through difficult times."

"You must persevere through difficult times because success rarely comes without facing obstacles and setbacks."

to make an effort to achieve a goal or complete a task

"We endeavor to provide excellent service."

"The organization will endeavor to provide clean drinking water to remote villages by drilling new wells."

to work extremely hard and persistently, often with great effort and dedication

"The farmers toiled in the fields daily."

"The poor farmers toil in the fields from sunrise to sunset every day to grow enough food to feed their families."

to be equal to or compete closely with someone or something in terms of skill, ability, or performance

"No one can rival his skill."

"The new smartphone's camera quality rivals that of much more expensive professional equipment which is impressive for its price range."

to overpower someone or something emotionally or mentally, leaving them unable to respond effectively

"Sadness will overwhelm him."

"The sudden amount of homework completely overwhelmed the new student who was not used to such pressure."

a defensive barrier erected during wartime to obstruct enemy movement and provide protection for defending forces

"They built a barricade."

"The soldiers quickly erected a barricade across the road to prevent the enemy's advance."

anything that blocks or slows progress

"Major impediment to success."

"Lack of funding was the major impediment to completing the important research project on time last year."

a responsibility or task that causes hardship, stress, etc.

"Heavy burden on shoulders."

"Caring for an elderly parent can be a financial and emotional burden on adult children."

a situation where one must navigate carefully to avoid problems or failure

"This is a tightrope."

"The brave acrobat walked carefully on the tightrope high above the ground during the exciting circus show."

a situation marked by hardship or misfortune

"She overcame great adversity."

"She showed great strength and overcame many personal adversity to achieve success in her career."

an event causing great and often sudden damage, distress, or destruction

"The earthquake was a terrible calamity."

"The oil spill was an environmental calamity that destroyed marine habitats and harmed the fishing industry for many years after the accident occurred."

a disadvantage or the feature of a situation that makes it unacceptable

"The main drawback is the high cost."

"The main drawback of living in a big city is the high cost and heavy traffic every single day."

a situation that is difficult because a choice must be made between two or more options that are equally important

"She faced a serious career dilemma recently"

"She faced a dilemma accept the job in another city or stay with her aging parents."

an event or situation that interrupts or disrupts the normal state or functioning of something

"Noise disturbance was loud."

"The loud noise disturbance from the party kept all neighbors awake until early morning hours last weekend."

a problem or question that is confusing and needs a lot of skill or effort to solve or answer

"This is a conundrum."

"The unexpected budget cuts presented a serious conundrum for the non-profit organization's future operations."

a state of extreme disturbance that causes a lot of worry and uncertainty

"The country was in political turmoil."

"The country experienced serious political turmoil after the unexpected election results were announced last month."

an area of vulnerability in a system, organization, or relationship that could lead to significant problems or breakdowns

"Major fault line."

"The constant disagreements between the two departments revealed a significant fault line in the company's communication structure."

hard or painful work

"The project was a long travail for the team."

"The long and difficult travail of climbing the mountain was worth it for the view from the summit."

an impressive or remarkable achievement or accomplishment, often requiring great skill or strength

"Climbing is amazing feat."

"Climbing Mount Everest is an amazing feat that requires great courage and serious physical preparation."

continuing to do something despite facing criticism or difficulties

"She is persistent."

"The persistent salesman called me every day for two months until I finally agreed to buy his product just to make him stop."

challenging to manage or move due to size, weight, or awkward shape

"The equipment is cumbersome."

"The cumbersome machine took up half the garage space and it was so heavy that nobody could move it without a forklift."

causing extreme discomfort or distress that is difficult to endure

"The heat is unbearable."

"The heat in the apartment was unbearable because the air conditioner had broken and the landlord refused to send anyone to repair it for days."

to allow something one dislikes, especially certain behavior or conditions, without interference or complaint

"I cannot tolerate loud noises."

"I cannot tolerate rude behavior from anyone regardless of their position or status in the company."

to put a great deal of effort to overcome difficulties or achieve a goal

"Many students struggle with math."

"Many students struggle with time management during their first year of university because they have more freedom."

to try to deal with a difficult problem or situation in a determined manner

"We must tackle climate change now."

"The government needs to tackle the problem of unemployment by creating more jobs for young people."

to be faced with an unexpected difficulty during a process

"You may encounter some difficulties."

"You may encounter some difficulties while learning a new language but do not give up easily."

to face or deal with a problem or difficult situation directly

"She will confront her boss tomorrow."

"She finally decided to confront her colleague about the inappropriate comments he had been making."

to try as hard as possible to achieve a goal

"Strive to be your best self."

"We should always strive to be better than we were yesterday instead of comparing ourselves to others."

to engage in a determined effort to confront and resolve a problem or obstacle

"Grapple the problem."

"The team will grapple with the complex ethical dilemmas presented by the new research findings."

to turn to or use something as a solution or means of help, especially as a last option

"Resort to violence."

"When all other options failed, they had to resort to drastic measures to save the business."

to continue a course of action with determination, even when faced with challenges or discouragement

"Rain persists throughout the entire weekend."

"The pain in his knee persisted for several weeks despite taking painkillers and resting the injured joint."

to allow the presence or actions of someone or something disliked without interference or complaint

"She will endure his rudeness."

"The survivors had to endure freezing temperatures and harsh conditions for three days without proper shelter."

to admit defeat in a competition, election, etc.

"The candidate will concede the election."

"After counting all the votes the candidate decided to concede the election and congratulate his opponent."

to pull back or move away from a position or situation, often in response to a threat or unfavorable conditions

"He will withdraw from the race."

"Due to the escalating conflict, the ambassador was instructed to immediately withdraw from the volatile region."

to surrender to a superior force or influence

"He will succumb to the illness."

"Despite her initial resistance, she eventually began to succumb to the persuasive arguments of the salesman."

an intangible difficulty or challenge that must be overcome

"The biggest obstacle was lack of funding."

"The lack of funding was the biggest obstacle preventing the research team from completing their important project."

a minor accident that has no serious consequences

"Small mishap happened."

"Thanks to a minor mishap she spilled coffee all over her white shirt before the meeting."

an obstacle that separates people or hinders any progress or communication

"Language barrier exists."

"The language barrier made communication difficult between the tourists and local people in the foreign country."

a challenging situation or pressure that causes difficulty or tension

"Feel the strain."

"The constant pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines created a significant strain on the entire department's morale."

able to recover quickly from difficult situations

"The plant is resilient."

"Despite facing numerous setbacks, the determined entrepreneur remained resilient and continued to pursue her business goals."