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

Firefighters in the stricken city of Asheville, North Carolina, have asked that residents understand the sheer size of the task facing them, as crew works to remove debris and begin the recovery. —NBC News, 2 Oct. 2024

Today, Ukraine, victim of horrific mass brutality and destruction, is only the latest in a procession of stricken countries spurring calls for the legend’s reapplication. —Benn Steil, Foreign Affairs, 13 May 2022

Important Test The stricken Starliner spacecraft will now travel from New Mexico to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024

In the 1950s and 1960s, when China was a stricken middle power, North Korea served a useful purpose. —Isaac Stone Fish, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2018

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

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