What's the past tense of "strike"?
The simple past tense of strike is struck, and the past participle is also struck. Use struck for both simple past and past participle forms.
Definition of strike
The Oxford English Dictionary defines strike as "to aim and usually deliver a blow; to cause a person or place to suffer severely from the effects of something very unpleasant that happens suddenly; to refuse to work as a form of organized protest." It's used in both literal and figurative senses, from physical actions to labor disputes.
- The past tense of strike is struck.
- The past participle of strike is struck.
Verb forms of 'strike'
Is "strike" a regular or irregular verb?
Note: Regular verbs end in -ed in the past tense. Any other verb ending is considered irregular.
While an irregular verb, 'strike' shows a highly common verb-conjugation pattern. Similar to other verbs like keep/kept, weep/wept, and sleep/slept, strike uses one form for all past tenses (and in the present perfect).
When to use "struck" vs. "stricken"
The clock struck midnight.
She was grief-stricken by the news.
The verb strike uses the same form (struck) for both simple past tense and past participle. However, there is a third form, stricken, which is used only as an adjectival past participle to describe the subject, not the action. When used as a participle, it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so struck can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.
Sentence examples: strike, struck, struck
• The workers will strike for better wages.
• Lightning strikes during thunderstorms.
• They strike a deal with the company.
• The clock struck midnight.
• He struck a chord with his audience.
• The idea struck him suddenly.
• The witness had struck the jury as compelling.
• Lightning has struck the building before.
• The workers have struck for better conditions.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for strike
Nearby phrases
Origin of the verb strike
Old English strican (past tense strac, past participle stricen) "pass lightly over, stroke, smooth, rub," also "go, move, proceed," from Proto-Germanic *strikan-
Practice: Strike conjugations
The idea suddenly ______ him as a brilliant solution.
The old clock tower had ______ midnight just moments before.
A cobra ______ its prey with incredible speed and precision.
The image of the sunset was particularly ______.
The union members voted to ______ for better working conditions.
FAQs
What is the past tense of "strike"?
What is the past participle of "strike"?
When do you use "stricken"?
Is "striked" ever correct?
Is "strike" a regular or irregular verb?
Sources
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Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of strike." Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed 16 January, 2023.
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Oxford English Dictionary. "strike, v." OED Online. Oxford University Press. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.
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