stricken

adjective

strick·​en ˈstri-kən 

1

a

: afflicted or overwhelmed by or as if by disease, misfortune, or sorrow

b

: made incapable or unfit

rescuers were sent to the stricken ship

2

: hit or wounded by or as if by a missile

the deer had been stricken by an arrow

Examples of stricken in a Sentence

I saw her stricken face looking up at us.

Recent Examples on the Web

The second video then shows a neighbor, Dawn Harvin, 55, come walking down the street, quickly glance toward the stricken woman to her right, then look up the driveway to her left and raise her arm, in an effort to get the driver’s attention. —Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025

The cutter towed the stricken vessel back to Zambales' Subic Port. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025

Pogue fell backward, and there was a cloud of gunsmoke and dust between Dallas and the stricken warden. —Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 17 July 2025

Many of the volunteers were lending their expertise in search and rescue to a stricken community. —Rick Jervis, USA Today, 8 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English striken, from past participle of striken to strike

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing stricken

• conscience-stricken
• grief-stricken
• panic-stricken
• planet-stricken
• poverty-stricken

Rhymes for stricken

• chicken
• likin
• quicken
• sicken
• thicken
• indican

Kids Definition

stricken

adjective

strick·​en ˈstrik-ən 

1

: troubled with disease, misfortune, or sorrow

2

: hit or wounded by or as if by an object that was thrown