verb

strike

stryk

verb

To hit someone or something, often forcefully.

"The branch struck the car's windscreen during the storm."

"He struck the table with his fist in frustration."

To stop working collectively as a form of protest over pay or conditions.

"The factory workers voted to strike after their pay demands were rejected."

To occur to someone suddenly, or to make a strong impression.

"It suddenly struck her that she had left the oven on."

"His confidence struck everyone in the room."

To discover, especially a valuable resource such as oil or gold.

"The prospectors finally struck gold after months of searching."

noun

An organized refusal to work as a form of protest.

"The strike lasted three weeks before a new contract was agreed."

A military or physical attack.

"The airstrike targeted an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town."

In baseball, a pitch that counts against the batter because it was swung at and missed, or was in the strike zone and not swung at.

"The umpire called a third strike, ending the inning."

How to Use Strike

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo hit something, to stop working in protest, or to suddenly discover or realize something.

Common mistake

Past tense is "struck" (not "striked"), though "strikeout" and similar compounds keep the regular spelling.

Common pairings

go on strike strike a deal strike gold strike a match lightning strike

Word Forms

struck past tense, striked past tense, strook past tense, stroke past tense, strake past tense, stricken past tense, strucken past tense, strikes plural, Strikes plural, strikes singular

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The factory workers voted to _____ after their pay demands were rejected.

Etymology

From Old English strican ("to go, stroke, rub"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to stroke or press" — the sense evolved through "to strike a flag" (lower it) into today's meanings of hitting and of workers stopping work.

Rhymes for strike

Ike bike mike Nike like dike hike pike alike spike unlike godlike

See all rhymes for strike →