struggling

struggling
    adj 1: engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or
           obscurity; "a financially struggling theater";
           "struggling artists"
    

Struggle \Strug"gle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Struggled}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Struggling}.] [OE. strogelen; cf. Icel. strj?ka to
   stroke, to beat, to flog, Sw. stryka to stroke, to strike,
   Dan. stryge, G. straucheln to stumble. Cf. {Stroll}.]
   1. To strive, or to make efforts, with a twisting, or with
      contortions of the body.
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   2. To use great efforts; to labor hard; to strive; to contend
      forcibly; as, to struggle to save one's life; to struggle
      with the waves; to struggle with adversity.
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            The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here,
            have consecrated it [Gettysburg] far above our power
            to add or detract.                    --Lincoln.
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   3. To labor in pain or anguish; to be in agony; to labor in
      any kind of difficulty or distress.
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            'T is wisdom to beware,
            And better shun the bait than struggle in the snare.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   Syn: To strive; contend; labor; endeavor.
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24 Moby Thesaurus words for "struggling":
      battling, contending, contestant, contesting, disputant, drudging,
      fighting, grinding, grubbing, hardworking, laboring, pegging,
      plodding, plugging, quarrelsome, slaving, slogging, straining,
      striving, sweating, toiling, warlike, warring, working