Word of the Day: Strike
The word “strike” has many different meanings and uses. It’s a very common word in English.
In the first set of examples, “strike” is a verb which means to hit something or someone:
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
strike
|
struck
|
struck / stricken
|
- A pedestrian was struck and killed by an SUV.
- A man was struck by lightning while playing golf. (These first two sentences are in the passive voice.)
- Sarah said that if her husband ever strikes her she’ll leave him.
- Everyone in the neighborhood despised the man for striking his children with a belt.
- People who were stricken by the disease received immediate treatment. (Sometimes “stricken” is used as a past participle.)
- Be careful when you strike a match. (To strike a match is to light a match to create a flame.)
As a verb “strike” can also mean that a person has a thought or a sudden inspiration:
- You strike me as being a very ambitious person.
- She strikes the other women in the office as being a little flirtatious around men.
- That just struck me as a bad idea.
The word “striking” is an adjective. It means beautiful or impressive:
- He has a striking physique.
- She bears a striking resemblance to Marilyn Monroe.
- She’s quite striking.
As a noun, the word “strike” represents many different things:
- A lightning strike hit the top of the tree.
- The workers went on strike. (They protested their working conditions.)
- A pitcher tries to throw strikes in the game of baseball.
- A batter tries to avoid strikes. Instead he tries to hit the ball. (A strike in baseball occurs when a batter misses the ball when attempting to hit it. )
- A strike in the game of bowling results when all ten pins are knocked down on the first ball thrown.
There are a few important expressions that use the word “strike.”
- That’s a strike against you. (You are at a disadvantage for something you did.)
- Three strikes and you’re out. (If you make enough mistakes, you will be fired, asked to leave, or put in jail.)
- He struck gold. (He found something that provided him with a good fortune or good opportunity.)
- They struck a deal. (Then came to an agreement.)
- Strike up the band! (This is said when someone wants a group or band of musicians to begin playing music.)
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with S page to see the list of all words starting with letter S. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
