stricken

adjective

strick·​en ˈstri-kən How to pronounce stricken (audio)
1
a
: afflicted or overwhelmed by or as if by disease, misfortune, or sorrow
b
: made incapable or unfit
rescuers were sent to the stricken ship
2
: hit or wounded by or as if by a missile
the deer had been stricken by an arrow

Examples of stricken in a Sentence

I saw her stricken face looking up at us.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The musical comedy features the country music singer appearing like a fairy godmother to give life lessons in song to a stricken fan. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025 The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Sacramento said its impact will continue to be felt over the next couple days, as residents in the stricken areas can expect heavy rain, snow and the threat of floods. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025 Yet this hopeful factor must play out in an economic landscape with some forbidding characteristics For one thing, the stricken East Bay refinery wields a significant role in California’s fuel market. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025 Jill Biden—who reportedly gave her husband some of the worst advice of this American century, already somehow a quarter spent—looked stricken, and sometimes seemed, at least to my eyes, to be choking back tears. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for stricken 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English striken, from past participle of striken to strike

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stricken was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stricken

Cite this Entry

“Stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stricken. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

stricken

adjective
strick·​en ˈstrik-ən How to pronounce stricken (audio)
1
: troubled with disease, misfortune, or sorrow
2
: hit or wounded by or as if by an object that was thrown

More from Merriam-Webster on stricken

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