The struggle is real
Meaning
This phrase is used to express that a current difficulty or challenge is genuinely significant and difficult to overcome, often with a touch of humor or exaggeration.
Origin
The phrase 'The struggle is real' perfectly captures the zeitgeist of modern digital communication. While its precise origins are elusive, it gained significant traction and virality on social media platforms in the early 2010s, particularly within online communities. It emerged as a pithy, often humorous way to lament everyday challenges, from minor inconveniences like slow Wi-Fi to more substantial life difficulties. Its concise nature and universal relatability made it an instant hit, transforming it from niche internet slang into a mainstream expression used to acknowledge and commiserate over the genuine difficulties of modern life, often with a self-aware, ironic twist.
Examples
- Trying to eat healthy when all your friends are ordering pizza, the struggle is real.
- I'm trying to teach myself a new language, and remembering all the verb conjugations, the struggle is real.