oke
1. (verb) (-a) to be eager, struggle, writhe, strive, fight for, battle for, keep going.
Ka oke rā pea i konā a Matuku. Oke noa, hei aha i te taura e nanati rā i te korokoro (M 2006:342). / Matuku really struggled there. He struggled in vain but the rope tightened around his throat.
Koirā te pai o Winitana, ahakoa ngā whakahē a ngā tāngata whaimana tonu, ka oke tonu ia i tana oke (HKK 1999:36). / That's the good thing about Winstone, despite the criticisms of important people, he keeps on keeping on.
Synonyms: kia kaha
2. (noun) struggling, wriggling, writhing.
Ā, kua uru atu te upoko ki roto, ka tīmata te oke o Matuku (M 2006:342). / And then his head went into it and Matuku's writhing began.
