Stricken Synonym: Words from Uneasy to Devastated (Stricken Meaning, Struck vs Stricken)

"Stricken" is one of those words you read in the news long before you use it yourself: grief-stricken, panic-stricken, a stricken town. It sounds serious, and it is. But what are the words around it, the milder ones and the stronger ones? In this post from my series "Words for different levels of…", I've put seven words on a ladder, from slightly worried to completely overwhelmed, so you can pick the right one for the moment.

What does it mean to be stricken?

To be stricken means to be seriously affected by something bad, such as grief, illness, fear or a disaster. It's a strong word. You wouldn't say you're stricken because you missed the bus. You can be stricken with an emotion or illness (stricken with grief) or stricken by an event (stricken by a storm).

Stricken synonym: words from mild to strong

1. uneasy

UK /ʌnˈiːzi/ · US /ʌnˈiːzi/ · Adjective

Meaning: Slightly worried or uncomfortable, often without a clear reason.

Examples:

• I felt uneasy walking home alone.
• She gave an uneasy smile.

Synonyms: anxious, restless, uncomfortable
Opposites: calm, relaxed

Tip: A mild, everyday word. It's good for a gut feeling that something isn't quite right.

2. troubled

UK /ˈtrʌbld/ · US /ˈtrʌbld/ · Adjective

Meaning: Worried or affected by problems, and it shows.

Examples:

• He looked troubled after the call.
• She has a troubled past.

Synonyms: worried, bothered, disturbed
Opposites: carefree, untroubled

Tip: It can describe a person (a troubled look) or a situation (a troubled region).

3. shaken

UK /ˈʃeɪkən/ · US /ˈʃeɪkən/ · Adjective

Meaning: Upset and unsettled after a sudden shock.

Examples:

• She was shaken by the news.
• He seemed badly shaken after the crash.

Synonyms: rattled, unsettled, startled
Opposites: composed, unfazed

Tip: It points to a sudden event, like an accident or bad news, not a long worry.

4. afflicted

UK /əˈflɪktɪd/ · US /əˈflɪktɪd/ · Adjective

Meaning: Suffering from a lasting illness or hardship.

Examples:

• He was afflicted with back pain for years.
• Many regions are afflicted by drought.

Synonyms: plagued, burdened, troubled
Opposites: unaffected, healthy

Tip: Formal. It usually suggests something ongoing. You'll mostly see it in writing and in the news.

5. distraught

UK /dɪˈstrɔːt/ · US /dɪˈstrɔːt/ · Adjective

Meaning: Extremely upset and unable to stay calm.

Examples:

• The distraught mother searched everywhere.
• He was too distraught to speak.

Synonyms: anguished, frantic, overwrought
Opposites: calm, serene

Tip: It describes someone in the middle of strong emotion, so it's more visible than "troubled".

6. stricken

UK /ˈstrɪkən/ · US /ˈstrɪkən/ · Adjective

Meaning: Seriously hit by grief, illness or disaster.

Examples:

• She was stricken with grief.
• Aid reached the storm-stricken town.

Synonyms: overcome, hard-hit, struck down
Opposites: unharmed, unaffected

Tip: Often used in compounds: grief-stricken, panic-stricken, poverty-stricken, terror-stricken. Literary and journalistic in tone.

7. devastated

UK /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ · US /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ · Adjective

Meaning: Completely overwhelmed by grief or shock.

Examples:

• I was devastated when I lost my job.
• The family is devastated by the loss.

Synonyms: shattered, crushed, heartbroken
Opposites: delighted, overjoyed

Tip: In everyday speech it's the strongest word here. Save it for something that really hurts.

Struck vs stricken: what's the difference?

Both come from the verb strike. Struck is the everyday past tense and past participle: The clock struck noon. She was struck by his kindness. Stricken is mostly used today as an adjective meaning seriously affected: a stricken family, a stricken look. If you're unsure, use struck for the action and stricken for the state of being hit hard.

Stricken from the record: a different meaning

You may also see stricken from the record, which is a legal and formal use. It means something was removed or deleted, for example a comment taken out of an official record. It's a separate meaning from the emotional one in the ladder above, and it comes from the same verb strike in the sense of "cross out".

Same sentence, seven levels

"After the news, my sister was ___."

• uneasy (a little worried)
• troubled (clearly bothered)
• shaken (upset by the shock)
• afflicted (suffering for a while)
• distraught (very upset, can't calm down)
• stricken (seriously hit by it)
• devastated (completely overwhelmed)

Not every word fits every situation. Afflicted, for example, works better for a long illness than for one piece of news. That's part of learning the levels.

How to remember them

Reading a list once isn't enough. Spaced repetition shows you each word again just before you'd forget it, so the words stay in your memory for good.

1. Look up a word in the Mem-App dictionary to see the definition, examples, synonyms, opposites and pronunciation.
2. Add it to your list.
3. Review it and rate how it felt: Easy, Good, Hard or Forgot. The next review adapts to you.

Try it yourself

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