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."