What does stricken mean?
Stricken describes someone or something affected by serious suffering, hardship, injury, or emotional shock. It is especially common in phrases such as “stricken with grief” and “stricken by tragedy,” and it can portray a person, community, or nation as severely harmed or overwhelmed. The word conveys lasting distress more strongly than a temporary inconvenience and often appears in formal writing and journalism. Although it derives from the past participle of “strike,” it has become a familiar adjective with several related uses. In another sense, a person or place can be described as stricken after being struck by lightning or another force.
Affected by or suffering from a serious difficulty, injury, illness, or emotional shock.
"The survivors were still stricken by the loss of their homes."
Commonly used with “with” to name a condition or emotion and with “by” to identify an external event or cause.
Deeply affected or overwhelmed by a feeling, circumstance, or experience.
"She remained stricken by the news for several days."
This use often has a strongly emotional or literary quality.
Stricken can describe a person in anguish, a community devastated by disaster, or a nation wounded by conflict.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stricken come from?
“Stricken” comes from the past participle of “strike,” with the suffix “-en” characteristic of Old English participles. The word originally meant struck or hit, as in a person stricken by lightning. Over time, it developed the figurative sense of deeply affected by a harmful event, emotion, or condition. Its meaning is related to the broader Latin root underlying words such as “constrict” and “stringent,” although modern “stricken” is most directly linked to the Germanic verb “strike.”
Related word forms
How stricken is actually used
The adjective is strongly associated with serious suffering or hardship and often has a formal, literary, or journalistic tone. It is commonly followed by “with” for illness or emotional states and by “by” for external events.
Easily confused with stricken
Stricken usually describes someone affected by suffering or hardship, whereas struck more often means hit, attacked, or strongly impressed, although both can describe being affected by a force or event.