EnglishMain Dictionary
strike
Universal Words
verb, noun
verb (struck, struck )
hit sb / sth
1 [VN] (formal) to hit sb/sth hard or with force:
The ship struck a rock. * The child ran into the road and was struck by a car. * The tree was struck by lightning. * He fell, striking his head on the edge of the table. * The stone struck her on the forehead.
2 (formal) to hit sb/sth with your hand or a weapon:
[VN] She struck him in the face. * He struck the table with his fist. * Who struck the first blow (= started the fight)? [also VNN]
kick / hit ball
3 [VN] (formal) to hit or kick a ball, etc:
He walked up to the penalty spot and struck the ball firmly into the back of the net.
attack
4 [V] to attack sb/sth, especially suddenly:
The lion crouched ready to strike. * Police fear that the killer may strike again.
of disaster / disease
5 (written) to happen suddenly and have a harmful or damaging effect on sb/sth:
[V] Two days later tragedy struck. * [VN] The area was struck by an outbreak of cholera.
thought / idea / impression
6 (not used in the progressive tenses) (of a thought or an idea) to come into sb's mind suddenly:
[VN] An awful thought has just struck me. * I was struck by her resemblance to my aunt. * [VNwh-] It suddenly struck me how we could improve the situation.
7 ~ sb (as sth) to give sb a particular impression:
[VN] His reaction struck me as odd. * How does the idea strike you? * She strikes me as a very efficient person. * [VN(that)] It strikes me that nobody is really in favour of the changes.
of light
8 [VN] to fall on a surface:
The windows sparkled as the sun struck the glass.
dumb / deaf / blind
9 [VN-ADJ] [usuallypassive] to put sb suddenly into a particular state:
to be struck dumb / deaf / blind
of workers
10 [V] to refuse to work as a protest:
The union has voted to strike for a pay increase of 6%. * Striking workers picketed the factory.
match
11 to rub sth such as a match against a surface so that it produces a flame; to produce a flame when rubbed against a rough surface:
[VN] to strike a match on a wall * The sword struck sparks off the stone floor. * [V] The matches were damp and he couldn't make them strike.
of clock
12 to show the time by making a ringing noise, etc:
[V] Did you hear the clock strike? * Four o'clock had just struck. * [VN] The clock has just struck three.
make sound
13 [VN] to produce a musical note, sound, etc. by pressing a key or hitting sth:
to strike a chord on the piano
gold / oil, etc.
14 [VN] to discover gold, oil, etc. by digging or DRILLING:
They had struck oil!
go with purpose
15 [V+adv./prep.] ~ (off / out) to go somewhere with great energy or purpose:
We left the road and struck off across the fields.
IDIOMS
be struck by / on / with sb/sth (informal) to be impressed or interested by sb/sth; to like sb/sth very much:
I was struck by her youth and enthusiasm. * We're not very struck on that new restaurant.
strike a balance (between A and B) to manage to find a way of being fair to two opposing things; to find a COMPROMISE between two things
strike a bargain / deal to make an agreement with sb in which both sides have an advantage
strike a blow for / against / at sth to do sth in support of/against a belief, principle, etc:
He felt that they had struck a blow for democracy.
strike fear, etc. into sb/sb's heart (formal) to make sb be afraid, etc.
strike gold to find or do sth that brings you a lot of success or money:
He has struck gold with his latest novel.
strike it rich (informal) to get a lot of money, especially suddenly or unexpectedly
strike (it) lucky (informal) to have good luck:
We certainly struck it lucky with the weather.
strike a pose / an attitude to hold your body in a particular way to create a particular impression:
to strike a dramatic / heroic pose
strike while the iron is hot (saying) to make use of an opportunity immediately
within striking distance (of sth) near enough to be reached or attacked easily; near enough to reach or attack sth easily:
The beach is within striking distance. * The cat was now within striking distance of the duck.
moreatCHORD, HARDadj., HOMEadv., LIGHTNINGn., NOTEn., PAYDIRT
PHRASALVERBS
strike at sb/sth
1 to try to hit sb/sth, especially with a weapon:
He struck at me repeatedly with a stick.
2 to cause damage or have a serious effect on sb/sth:
to strike at the root of the problem * criticisms that strike at the heart of the party's policies
strike back (at / against sb) to try to harm sb in return for an attack or injury you have received
strike sb down [usuallypassive]
1 (of a disease, etc.) to make sb unable to lead an active life; to make sb seriously ill; to kill sb:
He was struck down by cancer at the age of thirty.
2 to hit sb very hard, so that they fall to the ground
strike sth<->off to remove sth with a sharp blow; to cut sth off:
He struck off the rotten branches with an axe.
strike sb/sth off (sth) to remove sb/sth's name from sth, such as the list of members of a professional group:
Strike her name off the list. * The doctor was struck off (= not allowed to continue to work as a doctor) for incompetence.
strike out
1 to start being independent:
I knew it was time I struck out on my own.
2 (AmE, informal) to fail or be unsuccessful:
The movie struck out and didn't win a single Oscar.
strike out (at sb/sth)
1 to aim a sudden violent blow at sb/sth:
He lost his temper and struck out wildly.
2 to criticize sb/sth, especially in a public speech or in a book or newspaper:
In a recent article she strikes out at her critics.
strike sth<->out / through to remove sth by drawing a line through it
SYNCROSSOUT:
The editor struck out the whole paragraph.
strike out (for / towards sth) to move in a determined way (towards sth):
He struck out (= started swimming) towards the shore.
strike up (with sth)
