Slang dictionary
the struggle is real
摆听th uh struhg-uh l iz reel ]
What does 迟丑别听struggle is real mean?
My WiFi is slow. I can’t find matching socks. I have a 9am meeting.聽The struggle is real …
The struggle is real is a phrase that expresses joking, hyperbolic, and ironic frustration.
Where does the struggle is real come from?

The struggle is real is a phrase used to describe a small, everyday frustrating situation or setback, similar to the complaint of first-world problems.
Its origin, however, is much more serious.聽The struggle is real begins in hip-hop culture, where the struggle聽refers to the oppression and poverty faced by black Americans, especially in the inner-city. Use of this struggle聽dates to the 1990s, but it was likely influential rapper 2pac who popularized the phrase the struggle is real on his 2002 posthumous track, “Fame”:聽“No, we ain’t blood, but we still real brothers. / The struggle is real, nothin’ can steal what we build.”
The original, earnest sense of the struggle is real followed as it appeared on social media, and by 2011, the phrase was established enough on its own that the rap group DTMD released a song called “The Struggle is Real” in late 2011, which further boosted the phrase.
Real talk: black women please support your black men because the struggle is real.
— John Holmes II (@johnholmesii)
Humor soon took over, as is common in slang and social media. By early 2012, black observers were using the struggle is real to make wry observations about the creative workarounds for life with limited means.
the struggle is real
— Barry O. (@TheRegularShow_)
the. struggle. is. real.
— .dank princess. (@helloMFkittyo_O)
By late 2012,聽the struggle is real聽went full meme, with users captioning photos of hilarious jury-rigging with the phrase.
鈥: The struggle is real! I repeat! The struggle is real! 鈥 馃槀
— Rigo Rojas (@NotRigoRojas)
Like I said the struggle is real
— Matt Nav (@hype_beastnav)
2013 saw聽the struggle is real聽go mainstream as commentary on mild inconveniences鈥攚here the “struggle” is … really mild.
Taking the elevator to the 4th floor…. The struggle is real
— Morgan Long (@PrincessMorgiee)
the struggle is real…..
— victoria lopez (@Vict0rial0pez)
Having trouble choosing between a chicken biscuit or chicken minis at Chickfila this morning… The struggle is real, friends.
— brandon carter (@backtobrandon)
Examples of the struggle is real
Who uses the struggle is real?
As the humorous 迟丑别听struggle is real spread into the mainstream, its more hard-knock parent became less common, though聽Lil Wayne notably used it in his 2015 “Street Chains”:聽This is victory lane, now do I need a horn? /聽The struggle is real, and the Bible too long.”
Most often, the struggle is real is found online about silly, minor annoyances鈥攄efinitely not the kinds of challenges many rappers overcame while growing up in the inner-city.
It鈥檚 so hard to diet in a Mexican household!! I鈥檓 over here preparing my grilled chicken while my mom is making some bomb ass enchiladas, the struggle is real 馃槱
— karen 馃 (@nerakstagram)
The struggle is real.
— Marc Jacobs (@themarcjacobs)
The struggle is real right now.
— Gaming Humor & News (@VGFGamers)
The struggle is real.
— goodreads (@goodreads)
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of the struggle is real like most terms we define on 亚洲网紅露点, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of the struggle is real that will help our users expand their word mastery.