struck

USAGE SUMMARY

'struck' is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is generally used as a past-tense verb to describe either an act of physical force (e.g. "He struck the wall with his fist") or a sudden occurrence (e.g. "She was struck by an idea"). Here is an example sentence: The thunderous sound of the explosion struck fear into the hearts of the villagers.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"This law looks like it's going to be struck down.

The New York Times

Data protection authorities seem content to rely on search engines' application of the ruling's balancing test, citing low appeal rates as evidence that the balance is being appropriately struck.

The Guardian - Tech

The report recalls the "indescribable horror" the charity faced when Ebola first struck last March.

The Guardian

He admitted that when the virus first struck "there was probably a lack of knowledge and there was a certain degree of arrogance", but he said he believed lessons were being learned.

The Guardian

Last year the NT government struck a deal with Rio Tinto to make 250 empty houses available to support new and existing businesses as part of a new, co-funded economic development entity, but not for public housing.

The Guardian

CEO: Rex Tillerson Reported pay*: $33m Big capex milestone: Kara Sea, Russian Arctic After months of drilling around the clock through the short Arctic summer, Exxon Mobil and their Russian partners Rosneft struck oil last year.

The Guardian

I was usually too quick and ducked out of the way, but sometimes he struck mum.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

As the Bank struggles to find a way of controlling house prices without increasing interest rates and damaging the recovery, I am struck by a recent observation from my acquaintance Philipp Hildebrand, former governor of the Swiss Central Bank.

The Guardian - Business

There is a long-running show on Italia 1 called Le lene and, a while back, three of its regulars, Trio Medusa, collared the Rome city official with responsibility for policing the stadium and took him through some hypothetical questions about what would happen if a female tourist was repeatedly struck in the face and the attackers took her camera.

The Guardian - Sport

One thing about Australia's recent Carlton Mid Series against the Proteas that struck me as being particularly inept was the perfunctory and unceremonious manner in which Steve Smith was acknowledged as player-of-the-series, receiving little more than a handshake before Mark Nicholas threw to the end credits and another post-cricket airing of Christopher Reeve-era Superman.

The Guardian - Sport

Ipswich, as cussed a team as there is in the Championship, were not about to accept their fate: the 10 men struck back within 10 minutes.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using synonyms like "affected", "impacted", or "hit" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Common error

Be careful not to confuse "struck" with "stricken." While "struck" is the past tense of "strike," "stricken" is typically used as an adjective meaning severely affected by something, like illness or misfortune. Example: He was "stricken" with grief, not struck with grief.

Linguistic Context

Struck primarily functions as the past tense and past participle of the verb "strike." It denotes a completed action, whether physical, emotional, or in terms of agreements. Ludwig AI shows various uses.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Sport

20%

Lifestyle

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "struck" functions primarily as the past tense of "strike", indicating an action that has been completed. It can describe physical impact, emotional or intellectual influence, or the making of an agreement. According to Ludwig AI, it’s a grammatically correct term with a neutral register, suitable for use in both formal and informal contexts. While it is often confused with the adjective "stricken," "struck" is far more common and versatile. It's prevalence in "News & Media", "Sport" and "Lifestyle" underscores its wide applicability in diverse writing scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

impacted

Similar meaning of having an effect or hitting something, less common in formal writing.

hit

A more direct and literal synonym for physically impacting something.

affected

Indicates influence or effect, often in a non-physical sense.

reached

Suggests attaining a destination or target.

came to

Indicates a decision or agreement was made.

formed

Implies creating or establishing something, such as an agreement.

concluded

Signifies finishing or finalizing an agreement or understanding.

voided

Indicates the nullification or cancellation of something.

repealed

Suggests the act of revoking or annulling a law or regulation.

overturned

Implies reversing or invalidating a decision or ruling.

FAQs

How can I use "struck" in a sentence?

"Struck" is the past tense of "strike" and can be used to describe a physical impact (e.g., "The ball struck the bat") or a sudden emotional or intellectual impact (e.g., "The idea struck her suddenly").

What are some alternatives to "struck"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "hit", "impacted", or "affected".

Is it correct to say "I was stricken by the beauty" or "I was struck by the beauty"?

The correct phrase is "I was "struck by" the beauty." "Stricken" is usually reserved for being severely affected by illness, injury, or a negative emotion, but not for general admiration.

What is the difference between "struck a deal" and "reached a deal"?

"Struck a deal" and "reached a deal" are very similar, both indicating that an agreement was made. "Struck a deal" might imply a more active or decisive action, while "reached a deal" suggests a more gradual process of negotiation and agreement.