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A strife for the mastery; hostile contest; battle; struggle; fighting.

A violent effort or struggle to obtain, or to resist, something; contest; strife. I would my arcontenion. Shak.

Relating to contention or strife; involving or characterized by contention. Spenser. More cheerfull; though not less contentious, regions. Brougham.

Earnest dispute; strife in argument; controversy; debate; altercation. Leave all noisy contests, all immodest clamors and brawling language. I. Watts.

The act of contesting; emulation; rivalry; strife; dispute. "Loverlike contestation." Milton. After years spent in domestic, unsociable contestations, she found means to withdraw. Clarendon.

Quarrel; strife; cause of variance; difference. The Lord hath a controversy with the nations. Jer. xxv. 31.

ive dalliance Too mnch the rein. Shak. O, the dalliance and the wit, The flattery and the strifeTennyson.

To engage in strife or combat; to fight. [Obs.] Chaucer. Well could he tourney and in lists debate. Spenser.

Contest for mastery; contention; strife. [R.] Arnway.

To provoke to combat or strife; to call out to combat; to challenge; to dare; to brave; to set at defiance; to treat with contempt; as, to defy an enemy; to defy the power of a magistrate; to defy the arguments of an opponent; to defy public opinion. I once again Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight. Milton. I defy t…

ility, accusation, etc.; to absolve; to acquit; to clear. Discharged of business, void of strife. Dryden. In one man's fault discharge another man of his duty. L'Estrange.

t; absence of unity or harmony in sentiment or action; variance leading to contention and strife; disagreement; -- applied to persons or to things, and to thoughts, feelings, or purposes. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Prov. vi. 19. Peace to arise out of universal discord…

contention in words; partisan and contentious divisions; breach of friendship and union; strife; discord; quarrel. Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them. Acts xv. 2. Debates, dissension, uproars are thy joy. Dryden. A seditious person and raiser-up of dissension among the people. Robynson…

uncertain issue or event. We . . . have sustained one day in doubtful fight. Milton. The strife between the two principles had been long, fierce, and doubtful. Macaulay.

ts, or to the four supposed elements of the material world; as, elemental air. "Elemental strife." Pope.

il or quarrel; to make confused; to distract; to involve in difficulties by dissension or strife. The royal house embroiled in civil war. Dryden.

or conclusion; to finish; to close; to terminate; as, to end a speech. "I shall end this strife." Shak. On the seventh day God ended his work. Gen. ii. 2.

cause to exist; to bring forth; to produce; to sow the seeds of; as, angry words engender strife. Engendering friendship in all parts of the common wealth. Southey.

A contention or quarrel; especially, an inveterate strife between families, clans, or parties; deadly hatred; contention satisfied only by bloodshed. Mutual feuds and battles betwixt their several tribes and kindreds. Purchas.

Strife; dispute; abusive or upbraiding talk, as in fliting; wrangling. [Obs. or Scot. & Prov. Eng.]