wrestle

verb

to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance
to combat an opposing tendency or force
to engage in deep thought, consideration, or debate
to engage in or as if in a violent or determined struggle
to engage in (a match, bout, or fall) in wrestling
to wrestle with
to move, maneuver, or force with difficulty
put with difficulty
take with difficulty

L230035 on Wikidata ↗

noun

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L330645 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛsl̩/ / /ˈɹɛs(ə)l/

noun

Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English wrestlen, wrastlen (“to engage in grappling combat or sport, struggle, wrestle; to twist and turn, squirm, wriggle, writhe; (figurative) to contend, grapple with, struggle”), from Old English wrǣstlian (“to wrestle”), a frequentative form of wrǣstan (“to twist, wrest”), from Proto-Germanic *wraistijaną (“to turn; to twist, wrest”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wreyt- (“to twist”). By surface analysis, wrest + -le (frequentative suffix). Probably related to wraxle (UK, dialectal, archaic). The noun is derived from the verb. cognates * Middle Dutch worstelen, wrastelen (“to wrestle”) (modern Dutch worstelen) * Middle Low German wrostelen (“to wrestle”) (German Low German frösseln, wrösseln) * Saterland Frisian wrosselje (“to contend, wrestle”) * West Frisian wrakselje (“to wrestle”)

A fight or struggle between people during which they grapple or otherwise contend with each other in order to throw or force their opponent to the ground, chiefly as a sport or in unarmed combat.
“[I]n a VVreſtle the Giant [Gogmagog] catching aloft, vvith a terrible hugg broke three of his Ribs: nevertheleſs Corineus enrag'd, heaving him up by main force, and on his Shoulders bearing him to the next high Rock, threvv him headlong all ſhatter'd into the Sea, and left his name on the Cliff, call'd ever ſince Langoëmagog, vvhich is to ſay, the Giants leap.”
“Beyond the tilt-yard spread the larger space, / For the strong wrestle and the breathless race; […]”
A situation in which people compete with each other; a contest, a struggle.
“Both parties in the wrestle professing earnest wishes of peace to us, what have we to do with it except answer earnestly, "Peace, yes certainly," and mind our affairs elsewhere. The British Nation has no concern with that indispensable sorrowful and shameful wrestle now going on everywhere in foreign parts.”
“The body politic, which, while it remained in repose, had presented a superficial appearance of health and vigour, was not under the necessity of straining every nerve in a wrestle for life or death, and was immediately found to be unequal to the exertion.”
The action of contending or struggling.
“War in Italy, universal spasm of wrestle there, being now the expectation of foolish mankind.”

verb

To take part in (a wrestling bout or match).
“And novv Ptolemais being to vvreſtle her laſt fall, ſtripped her ſelf of all cumberſome clothes: vvomen, children, aged perſons, vveak folks […] vvere ſent avvay; […]”
“Hark thee, friend, […] wilt thou wrestle a fall with me?”
Sometimes followed by down: to contend with or move (someone) into or out of a position by grappling; also, to overcome (someone) by grappling.
“My driver at the second station was a stout girl of twenty, strong enough to wrestle any man, but shy, modest, and gentle.”
“Tunisia dug in to frustrate England in the second half but [Harry] Kane was the match-winner with a late header from Harry Maguire's flick, justice being done after referee Wilmar Roldan and the video assistant referee (VAR) had failed to spot him being wrestled to the ground twice in the penalty area.”
To move or manipulate (something) using physical effort, usually with some difficulty or opposition.
“I couldn't wrestle the trunk down the hall.”
“And, wrestling both his arms into a gown, / He paused and took a survey up and down.”
To engage in (a contest or struggle).
To throw down (a calf or other livestock animal) for branding.
To grapple or otherwise contend with an opponent in order to throw or force them to the ground, chiefly as a sport or in unarmed combat.
“Wreſtell nat with me for I wyll throwe the [thee] on thy backe […]”
“[Y]ee gaue their diligẽce [diligence] to lerne to fight, to wriſtle, to leape, to daunce, ⁊ to put at yͤ ſtone: […]”
Followed by with: to move or manipulate something using physical effort, usually with some difficulty or opposition.
“It fits Ioues ſonne / VVraſtle vvith Lyons, and to tugge vvith Beares, / Grapple vvith Dragons, and incounter VVhales.”
“But 'tis a thing of saintlier nature, / Amidst her friends of pigmy stature, / To see the maid in youth's fair bloom, / A guardian sister's charge assume, / […] / With her in mimick war they wrestle; / Beneath her twisted robe they nestle; […]”
To make one's way or move with some difficulty or effort.
“[S]o great a ſtorme of vvind and raine beat vpon vs that vvee not only loſt our vvay, but our ſelues, and at length vvraſtled to Geer, hauing firſt paſt through the Straits of Mozendram.”
“[T]hy Lips, […] their tvvo-leav'd Door / So cloſe they ſhut, that […] not Breath it ſelfe, has povver to bore / Its vvay, but forced is to goe about, / And through the Noſes Sluces vvreſtle out.”
Followed by against or with: to contend, to struggle; to exert effort, to strive.
“Put on the arms of our god⸝ that ye maye ſtonde ſtedfaſt agaynſt the crafty aſſautes off the devyll. For we wreſtle not agaynſt fleſſhe and bloud: but agaynſt ruele⸝ agaynſt power⸝ and agaynſt worldy ruelars of the darcknes of this worlde⸝ agaynſt ſpretuall wickednes in hevenly thyngꝭ [thyngis].”
“For kyng Henry [VI], diſcended of the houſe of Lancaſtre, claymyng the croune from kyng Henry the .iiii. his graund father, firſt author of this diuiſion: and Rychard duke of Yorke, as heyre to Lionell, the third ſonne to kyng Edward the third: wreſteled for the game, and ſtroue for the wager.”
To contend verbally; to argue, to debate, to dispute.
“[B]ecause […] they were loath to wrestle with the people, or force them from dangerous customs, they came from that supine negligence, in tolerating prayer for the dead, to establish a doctrinal point of purgatory; […]”
To twist or wriggle; to writhe.
“But God (vvhen pleaſeth him) doth giue this ſtrength to man, / VVhereby he ſtandeth ſtout; euen like a mightie rocke / Amid the mounting vvaues vvhen Eole [Aeolus] doth vnlocke / Sterne Auſters ſtormie gate, making the vvaters vvraſtle / And ruſh vvith vvrathfull rage againſt the ſturdie caſtle, […]”
“He saw the glebe land guiltless of a furrow; / He saw the wild oats wrestle on the hill; / He saw the gopher working in his burrow; / He saw the squirrel scampering at his will;— […]”
Followed by with: to concern or occupy oneself closely, or deal with, a task, etc.
“Our hope is, that the yong Studient, vvho heretofore meeting at the firſt, and vvraſtling vvith as difficult termes and matter, as in many yeares after, vvas at the firſt diſcouraged (as many haue bin) may be reading theſe Inſtitutes, haue the difficultie and darkeneſſe both of the Matter and of the Termes and VVords of Art in the beginnings of his Studie facilitated, and explained vnto him, to the end hee may proceed in his Studie cheerefully, and vvith delight; […]”