nounadjective

en strid

battle · fight

En situation där två eller flera parter kämpar mot varandra, ofta med våld eller starkt motsatta åsikter.

Definition & meaning

The word strid has two primary meanings depending on whether it is used as a noun or an adjective:

As a noun (en strid): It refers to a battle, fight, or combat. This can be a physical engagement between armed forces or a metaphorical struggle, such as a legal dispute, a political conflict, or a personal competition. It implies an active opposition where two or more parties are clashing.
As an adjective (strid, stritt, strida): It describes something that is fast-flowing, forceful, or abundant, most commonly used in relation to liquids. For example, a "strid ström" is a rapid or heavy current. It can also describe a thick or coarse texture, such as "stritt hår" (bristly/stiff hair).

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

Noun: It is a common gender noun (utrum). The singular indefinite form is strid, definite is striden. The plural indefinite is strider and the definite is striderna.
Adjective: It inflects as strid (en-words), stritt (ett-words), and strida (plural/definite).

Word origin: The word originates from the Old Norse stríð, which originally meant pain, sorrow, or hardship. Over time, the meaning evolved from the suffering caused by conflict to the conflict itself. It is related to the German word Streit (argument/dispute) and the Old English strīth.