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Origin and history of wrestle

wrestle(v.)

Middle English wrestlen "engage in a grappling struggle, struggle in a hand-to-hand contest of strength and adroitness," or for sport or show, from Old English *wræstlian, frequentative of wræstan "to wrest" (see wrest) with -el (3).

Compare North Frisian wrassele, Middle Low German worstelen. The figurative sense of "labor" against difficulties, troubles, etc., is recorded by early 13c.; that of "deal with as a troublesome duty, devote oneself earnestly to" is from mid-15c. Related: Wrestled; wrestling.

Entries linking to wrestle

wrest(v.)

Middle English wresten, "turn or twist about, extricate oneself; struggle, fight;" from Old English wræstan "to twist, wrench," and its Old Norse cognate reista "to bend, twist," both from Proto-Germanic *wraistjan, from *wreik- "to turn," which is reconstructed in Watkins to be from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Compare wrist.

The transitive meaning "turn or twist (something) forcefully" is by c. 1200; that of "pull and detach" (something) is by c. 1300. The meaning "to take by force" (in reference to power, authority, etc.) is attested from early 15c. Related: Wrested; wresting.

wrestling(n.)

Middle English, from Old English wræstlung, "sport of grappling, art of trying to throw another person to the ground," verbal noun from wrestle (v.). It is attested from c. 1300 as "action of wrestling, a wrestling match." Figurative use is attested by c. 1200.

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struggle
late 14c., strogelen, "wrestle, grapple, contend physically," a word of obscure origin, probably a frequentative form with -el (3) (compare trample, wrestle), but the first element is uncertain. According to OED, Skeat suggests Old Norse strugr "ill will," while others suggest a
writhe
Old English wriðan (transitive) "to twist or bend," earlier "to bind or fetter," from Proto-Germanic *writhanan (source also of North Frisian wrial, Old High German ridan, Old Norse riða, Middle Swedish vriþa, Middle Danish vride), from PIE *wreit-, from root *wer- (2) "to turn,
squirm
"to wriggle, writhe," 1690s, dialectal, originally referring to eels, of unknown origin; sometimes it has been associated with worm or swarm, but perhaps rather it is imitative. The figurative sense of "be painfully affected, to writhe on the inside, mentally or emotionally" is b
palestra
palaistra "gymnasium, public place for exercise under official direction," originally "wrestling school," from palaiein "to wrestle...
reluctance
to struggle against, resist, make opposition," from re- "back, against, in opposition" (see re-) + luctari "to struggle, wrestle...
reluctant
participle of reluctari "to struggle against, resist, make opposition," from re- "against" (see re-) + luctari "to struggle, wrestle...
wring
Middle Dutch wringhen, Dutch wringen "to wring," Old High German ringan "to move to and fro, to twist," German ringen "to wrestle...
fight
Old English feohtan "to combat, contend with weapons, strive; attack; gain by fighting, win" (intransitive; class III strong verb; past tense feaht, past participle fohten), from Proto-Germanic *fe(u)hta (source also of Old High German fehtan, German fechten, Middle Dutch and Dut
debate
late 14c., "to quarrel, dispute," also "to combat, fight, make war" (senses now archaic), also "discuss, deliberate upon the pros and cons of," from Old French debatre (13c., Modern French débattre), originally "to fight," from de- "down, completely" (see de-) + batre "to beat,"
contend
mid-15c., "engage in rivalry, compete," from Old French contendre and directly from Latin contendere "to stretch out; to shoot, hurl, throw; strive after mentally; measure or try one's strength with, fight, vie with," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefi

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