What does strode mean?
Strode is the past tense of the verb stride, meaning to walk or move with long steps. It is used when describing someone crossing a room, marching through a street, or proceeding with purpose and confidence. Although it functions as an ordinary past-tense form in modern English, it often has a more literary and vivid quality than walked. The wording can suggest determination, authority, or a deliberate, imposing gait, especially in sentences such as “She strode across the platform.” Strode is especially common in narrative writing, reporting, and formal description, but it is not limited to those contexts. Related forms include the present tense stride, the participle striding, the simpler past strided, the noun strider, and the noun stride itself.
verbWalked with long, decisive steps. It is the past tense of stride and is often used in a literary or emphatic style.
- Walked with long steps.
- Moved or proceeded with a long, assured gait.
"She strode across the hall with unmistakable confidence."
"The soldiers strode through the narrow street."
"After hesitating at the doorway, he strode into the room."
Strode preserves the image of someone taking long, powerful steps, giving the past tense of stride a distinctly literary stride of its own.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does strode come from?
The word belongs to the Old English verb strīdan, meaning “to stride” or “to take long steps.” Its modern past form developed through Middle English and has become especially common in literary and descriptive contexts. The underlying Germanic verb has relatives in other Germanic languages, including forms related to stepping or striding in Dutch and German.
Related word forms
How strode is actually used
Strode is the past tense of stride and is used in both formal and informal English, though it has a more literary or vivid tone than simply walked. It can suggest confidence, authority, or purposeful movement.