wrestle

Noun · Verb
US[res-uhl]/ˈrɛsəl/2 syllables
Synonyms: wrestlinggrapplegrapplinghand-to-hand strugglewrithewrigglewormsquirmtwist

Open English WordNet

Verb (4)wrestled, wrestling

  1. combat to overcome an opposing tendency or force“He wrestled all his life with his feeling of inferiority”More general battle, combat
  2. engage in deep thought, consideration, or debate“I wrestled with this decision for years”More general consider, debate
  3. to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)“The prisoner writhed in discomfort”“The child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace”Synonyms: writhewrigglewormsquirmtwistMore general moveMore specific wrench
  4. engage in a wrestling match“The children wrestled in the garden”More general contend, fightMore specific mudwrestle, mud-wrestle

Noun (1)

  1. the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat“they had a fierce wrestle”“we watched his grappling and wrestling with the bully”Synonyms: wrestlinggrapplegrapplinghand-to-hand struggleType of struggle

Related words grappler noun, twist noun, twister noun, grappling noun, hand-to-hand struggle noun, grapple verb

Word of the day · Oct 28About this word
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Wres′tle intransitive verb [past tense & past participle Wrestled; present participle & verbal noun Wrestling.]

Origin: OE. wrestlen, wrastlen, AS. wr…stlian, freq. of wr…stan to wrest; akin to OD. wrastelen to wrestle. See Wrest, transitive verb

1. To contend, by grappling with, and striving to trip or throw down, an opponent; as, they wrestled skillfully.

To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit, and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well.— William Shakespeare
Another, by a fall in wrestling, started the end of the clavicle from the sternum.— Richard Wiseman

2. Hence, to struggle; to strive earnestly; to contend.

Come, wrestle with thy affections.— William Shakespeare
We wrestle not against flesh and blood.— Eph. vi. 12.
Difficulties with which he had himself wrestled.— Matthew Arnold
Wres′tle transitive verb

To wrestle with; to seek to throw down as in wrestling.

Wres′tle noun

A struggle between two persons to see which will throw the other down; a bout at wrestling; a wrestling match; a struggle.

Whom in a wrestle the giant catching aloft, with a terrible hug broke three of his ribs.— John Milton

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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