stricken
C1Formal, literary, journalistic
Definition
Meaning
Severely and negatively affected by something, such as disease, misfortune, or deep emotion.
Can refer to a place devastated by disaster, a person overwhelmed by emotion (e.g., grief-stricken), or a target that has been hit (e.g., missile-stricken).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Most commonly used as the past participle of 'strike' in formal/literary contexts or in compound adjectives. Suggests a profound, often irreversible impact. It conveys a sense of being actively afflicted, not just passively suffering.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. 'Struck' is more common in neutral contexts for the past participle (e.g., 'He was struck by lightning'), while 'stricken' is reserved for more formal or emotive contexts, especially in compounds.
Connotations
In both dialects, it carries a formal, sometimes archaic or dramatic tone. In American legal/journalistic language, 'poverty-stricken' and 'disaster-stricken' are very common.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English in journalistic contexts (e.g., 'drought-stricken region'). In both, it is less common than 'struck' in everyday speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be stricken by/with [noun][noun]-stricken [noun]stricken [noun] (as adj.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “stricken in years (archaic: very old)”
- “stricken from the record (formal: officially removed)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in formal reports: 'The company was stricken by losses.'
Academic
Used in historical/sociological texts: 'the famine-stricken population'.
Everyday
Very low frequency. Limited to highly emotive situations: 'She was stricken with guilt.'
Technical
Used in disaster/relief contexts (e.g., meteorology, aid work): 'aid for the flood-stricken province'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The village was stricken by a sudden plague.
- The name was stricken from the register.
American English
- The bill was stricken from the legislative calendar.
- He was stricken with a rare illness.
adjective
British English
- Her stricken face revealed the bad news.
- Supplies were flown into the famine-stricken region.
American English
- He had a panic-stricken look in his eyes.
- Federal aid was sent to the drought-stricken farms.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She looked stricken when she heard the news.
- The fire-stricken family lost their home.
- The guilt-stricken witness finally confessed to the police.
- The economy of the disaster-stricken country struggled to recover.
- Stricken by a sudden bout of conscience, he returned the stolen funds.
- International aid agencies mobilized to help the cholera-stricken region.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a STICK hitting (striking) someone, and they are left STRICKEN on the ground, deeply affected.
Conceptual Metaphor
AFFLICTION IS A PHYSICAL BLOW. (e.g., 'stricken by grief' conceptualizes grief as something that hits you).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating as 'ударяемый' (being hit). Use 'пострадавший', 'охваченный', 'опустошённый' depending on context (e.g., grief-stricken = 'охваченный горем').
- Do not confuse with 'strict' (строгий).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'stricken' as the simple past tense (incorrect: 'He stricken the ball.' Correct: 'He struck the ball.').
- Overusing it in place of the more common 'struck' in neutral contexts.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'stricken' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is common in formal writing, journalism, and literature, particularly in compound adjectives (e.g., 'poverty-stricken'). In everyday spoken English, 'struck' or simpler terms like 'affected' are more frequent.
Both are past participles of 'strike'. 'Struck' is the standard, neutral form (e.g., 'The clock has struck twelve'). 'Stricken' is used in more formal, emotive, or literary contexts, often to mean 'seriously affected' (e.g., 'stricken with grief') or in specific formal phrases ('stricken from the record').
Yes, but it is formal/archaic. As a verb, it is almost always used in the passive voice (e.g., 'He was stricken by illness') or in the formal phrase 'stricken from' meaning 'removed from'.
It is grammatically possible but highly literary and dramatic. In modern English, 'I was struck by her beauty' is the natural, idiomatic choice. Using 'stricken' here would sound overly formal or old-fashioned.