strike

Word family  noun strike striker adjective striking verb strike adverb strikingly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++strike1 /straɪk/ ●●● S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle struck /strʌk/)  1  hit 击,打 [transitive] writtenHIT/BUMP INTO to hit or fall against the surface of something 打，击，撞 She fell heavily, striking her head against the side of the boat. 她重重地摔倒，头撞在船舷上。 A snowball struck him on the back of the head. 一个雪球打中了他的后脑勺。 Several cars were struck by falling trees. 几辆车被倒下的树砸中。 The last rays of the setting sun struck the windows. 落日的最后一缕阳光照在窗户上。 RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say hit rather than strike: 在日常英语中,人们通常说 hit ,而不说 strikeI hit my head on the shelf. 我的头撞到架子上了。He was hit by a rock. 他被石块击中。2  hit with hand/weapon etc 用手/武器等打击 [transitive] formalHIT to deliberately hit someone or something with your hand or a weapon 〔用手或武器〕打，击 She struck him hard across the face. 她重重打了他一记耳光。strike something with something The victim had been struck with some kind of wooden implement. 受害人遭到某种木器的击打。 Paul struck him a blow to the head. 保罗在他头上一击。 The assassin’s bullet struck home (=hit exactly where it should). 暗杀者的子弹正中目标。► see thesaurus at hit3  thought/idea 想法/主意 [transitive]THINK something/HAVE A THOUGHT if something strikes you, you think of it, notice it, or realize that it is important, interesting, true etc 突然出现〔在脑子里〕，突然被意识到[想到] A rather worrying thought struck me. 我脑子里突然出现一个颇令我担忧的想法。 The first thing that struck me was the fact that there were no other women present. 我首先意识到没有其他女性到场。it strikes somebody (that) It struck her that losing the company might be the least of her worries. 她突然意识到失去公司或许是她最不用担心的一件事。be struck by something You can’t help being struck by her kindness. 你禁不住要为她的善良而感动。n GRAMMAR: Using the progressiveStrike is not used in the progressive in this meaning. You say: It strikes me that they are similar. ✗Don’t say: It is striking me that they are similar.4  strike somebody as (being) something SEEMto seem to have a particular quality or feature 给某人以某种印象 His jokes didn’t strike Jack as being very funny. 他的笑话并没让杰克觉得很好笑。it strikes somebody as strange/odd etc that It struck me as odd that the man didn’t introduce himself before he spoke. 我感到很奇怪，那个男人在讲话之前竟然不作自我介绍。5  stop work 罢工 [intransitive]STOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKE if a group of workers strike, they stop working as a protest against something relating to their work, for example how much they are paid, bad working conditions etc 罢工 In many countries, the police are forbidden to strike. 在很多国家，警察是禁止罢工的。strike for They’re striking for the right to have their trade union recognized in law. 他们正在罢工争取让他们的工会在法律上得到承认。6  attack 袭击 [intransitive, transitive]ATTACK to attack someone, especially suddenly 猛然攻击，突然袭击 The killer might strike again. 凶手可能会再次作案。 Guerrillas struck a UN camp, killing 75. 游击队突袭了一个联合国难民营，造成75人死亡。 Opponents of the war say that civilian villages have been struck several times. 反战人士说平民村庄屡遭袭击。7  harm 伤害 [intransitive, transitive] to damage or harm someone or something 伤害；危害strike at The law would strike at the most basic of civil rights. 这项法令会侵犯最基本的公民权利。 Such prejudices strike right at the heart of any notions of a civilized society. 这样的偏见直接伤及文明社会理念的核心。strike a blow at/against/to something The scandal seemed to have struck a mortal blow to the government’s chances of re-election. 这桩丑闻似乎已给政府连任的希望造成致命的打击。8  STH bad happens 不好的事发生 [intransitive, transitive]HAPPEN if something bad strikes, it suddenly happens or suddenly begins to affect someone 突然发生〔某种不幸〕；突然对（某人）有坏的影响 The plague struck again for the third time that century. 瘟疫再次爆发，是那个世纪的第三次了。 Everything seemed to be going fine when suddenly disaster struck. 一切看起来都很正常，但这时灾难突然发生了。 → stricken► see thesaurus at happen9  strike a balance (between something) EQUALto give the correct amount of importance or attention to two separate things 在…之间达到平衡，两者兼顾 He was finding it difficult to strike a balance between his family and his work. 他觉得家庭和工作两者很难兼顾。 It isn’t always easy to strike the right balance. 做到两者兼顾并非总是很容易。10  strike a bargain/deal AGREEto agree to do something for someone if they do something for you 达成协议/交易 There are rumors that the president struck a private deal with the corporation’s chairman. 有传言称总裁和公司董事长已经私下里达成协议。11  strike a happy/cheerful/cautious etc note EXPRESSto express a particular feeling or attitude 表达出高兴/振奋/谨慎等的感情[态度] The article struck a conciliatory note. 那篇文章表达了和解的姿态。 Moderate Republicanism appeared to strike exactly the right note with the voters (=be what the people wanted). 温和的共和党政纲似乎正好符合选民的心意。12  strike a chord AGREEto say or do something that other people agree with or have sympathy with 引起共鸣，打动strike a chord with Their story is bound to strike a chord with all parents. 他们的故事一定会引起所有父母的共鸣。13. strike a match LIGHTto produce a flame from a match by rubbing it hard across a rough surface 划火柴14  strike gold/oil etc FINDto find a supply of gold, oil etc in the ground or under the sea 〔尤指经过挖掘〕找到黄金/石油等 If they strike oil, drilling will begin early next year. 如果他们找到石油，明年年初就要开始钻井。15  strike gold informal to do something that makes you a lot of money 发大财，暴富 Jackie eventually struck gold with her third novel. 杰姬终于靠她的第三本小说发了大财。16  lightning 闪电 [intransitive, transitive]DAMAGE if lightning strikes something, it hits and damages it 〔闪电〕击中，击毁 The temple burned down after it was struck by lightning last year. 那座庙宇去年遭雷击后烧毁了。 → lightning never strikes twice at lightning117  strike a blow for somebody/something HELPto do something to help achieve a principle or aim 维护某人/某事物 It’s time we struck a blow for women’s rights. 我们该起来维护妇女权利了。18  be within striking distance NEAR a) to be close enough to reach a place easily 〔某地〕近在咫尺 By now, they were within striking distance of the shore. 现在他们离海岸很近了。 b) to be very close to achieving something 非常靠近 〔某物〕；即将实现〔某目标〕 The French team are within striking distance of the world record. 法国队离世界纪录只有咫尺之遥。19. strike it rich RICHto suddenly make a lot of money 暴富20  strike it lucky British English to be very lucky, especially when you were not expecting to 交好运 We struck it lucky in Bangkok, where we were told there were some extra seats on the plane that night. 我们在曼谷运气很好，他们告诉我们当晚飞机上还有一些座位。21  clock 时钟 [intransitive, transitive]TIME/WHAT TIME IS IT if a clock strikes one, two, six etc, its bell makes a sound once, twice, six etc times according to what time it is 敲（钟），报（时） The church clock began to strike twelve. 教堂的钟开始敲响12点。strike the hour (=strike when it is exactly one o'clock, two o'clock etc) 整点报时22  gain advantage 获得优势 [intransitive]ADVANTAGE to do something that gives you an advantage over your opponent in a fight, competition etc 〔在争斗、竞争等中〕取得先机 Brazil struck first with a goal in the third minute. 巴西队第三分钟先射入一球取得先机。23  strike home EFFECT/INFLUENCEif something that you say strikes home, it has exactly the effect on someone that you intended 产生预期的效果 She saw the emotion in her father’s face and knew her words had struck home. 她看到父亲脸上的表情，就知道她的话奏效了。24  strike terror/fear into somebody’s heart FRIGHTENEDto make someone feel very frightened 使某人感到恐惧/害怕 The word ‘cancer’ still strikes terror into many hearts. “癌症”一词仍然使很多人心生恐惧。25  strike a pose/attitude STANDto stand or sit with your body in a particular position 以某种姿势站[坐]；摆姿势 Malcolm struck his usual pose: hands in pockets, shoulders hunched. 马尔科姆摆出惯常的姿势: 双手插在口袋里，耸起双肩。26. be struck dumb SAY#to suddenly be unable to talk, usually because you are very surprised or shocked 〔通常因为吃惊或震惊而〕说不出话来 → dumbstruck27  be struck with horror/terror/awe etc to suddenly feel very afraid, shocked etc 突然感到惊恐/恐惧/敬畏等 As she began to speak to him, she was struck with shyness. 她开口和他说话时，感到十分害羞。28. strike while the iron is hot CHANCE/OPPORTUNITYto do something immediately rather than waiting until a later time when you are less likely to succeed 趁热打铁，把握时机行事29  strike somebody dead to kill someone 杀死某人 May God strike me dead if I’m telling a lie! 如果我在说谎，上帝让我不得好死！ PHRASAL VERBS30 strike back phrasal verb ATTACKto attack or criticize someone who attacked or criticized you first 回击，反击 We instruct our staff never to strike back, however angry they feel. 我们教育员工，不论多生气都不要回击。 at The prime minister immediately struck back at his critics. 首相立即对他的批评者进行反击。31 strike somebody ↔ down phrasal verb a) KILLto kill someone or make them extremely ill 使丧命；使病倒 Over 50 nurses at the clinic have been struck down with a mystery virus. 诊所里五十多名护士因感染一种神秘的病毒而病倒。 They would rob the bodies of those struck down in battle. 他们会偷盗阵亡者身上的财物。n Grammar Strike down is usually passive in this meaning.b) HIT formal to hit someone so hard that they fall down 击倒〔某人〕c) law to say that a law, decision etc is illegal and officially end it 〔宣称某法规、决定等为非法而〕废除，取消32 strike somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb a) be struck off British EnglishLEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATION if a doctor, lawyer etc is struck off, their name is removed from the official list of people who are allowed to work as doctors, lawyers etc 〔医生、律师等〕被除名b) to remove someone or something from a list 〔从名单上〕删除 Terri was told to strike off the names of every person older than 30. 特里被告知把全部30岁以上者的名字删去。33.strike on/upon something phrasal verb FIND formal to discover something or have a good idea about something 发现；想出 → be struck on somebody/something at struck234 strike out phrasal verb a) to attack or criticize someone suddenly or violently 突然攻击；猛烈抨击 at Unhappy young people will often strike out at the people closest to them. 年轻人心里不高兴就往往会攻击身边最亲近的人。b) strike something ↔ outLINE to draw a line through something written on a piece of paper 划掉，删去，涂掉c) [always + adverb/preposition]GO to start walking or swimming in a particular direction, especially in a determined way 〔朝某方向〕坚定地走去[游去] She struck out for the side of the pool. 她奋力朝池边游去。d) strike out on your ownSTART DOING somethingINDEPENDENT PERSON to start doing something or living independently 开始独立做某事；开始独立生活e) DSBto not hit the ball in baseball three times, so that you are not allowed to continue trying, or to make someone do this 〔棒球〕（使）三振出局，三击不中出局strike somebody ↔ out He struck out the first batter he faced. 他直接使自己遇到的第一个击球手三振出局。 → strikeoutf) American English informalFAIL to not be successful at something 不成功，失败 ‘Did she say she’d go out with you?’ ‘No, I struck out.’ “她说愿意跟你约会吗？”“没有，我碰了钉子。”g) strike something ↔ out law to say officially that something cannot be considered as proof in a court of law 宣布某事物不能成为证据35 strike up phrasal verb a) strike up a friendship/relationship/conversation etcFRIENDLY to start to become friendly with someone, to start talking to them, etc 建立友谊/建立关系/交谈起来等 I struck up a conversation with the girl sitting next to me. 我和坐在旁边的女孩交谈起来。b) strike up (something)APM to begin playing a piece of music 开始演奏（乐曲） The band struck up a tango. 乐队奏起一支探戈舞曲。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

strike• The flight attendants are threatening to strike.• It is always devastating when this illness strikes.• It's like striking a match, Meg.• Most people were fast asleep when the hurricane struck at 4.05 pm.• The gang has struck at several homes in Monaghan, Cavan and Armagh stealing money from pensioners.• A house nearby had been struck by a falling tree.• In the final analysis, the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision struck down the first display and upheld the second one.• The Cardinals struck first with two touchdowns in the first quarter.• Teachers were not striking for higher pay, but for higher standards in education.• He struck her across the face and broke her nose.• Her husband had never struck her before.• It struck her one day, when she was walking home from school, that she hadn't thought about her weight for over a month.• The ball struck him in the face.• Morris struck his drum, and the band started to march down the street.• Female workers are often more reluctant than men to strike in order to get what they want.• Her arrow was the first to strike it.• This strikes me as just as arrogant and insular as would be a judgment pronounced on a ghetto kid.• My mother was always asking questions, and it struck me as odd that she didn't ask one on this occasion.• I looked around the glittering room and it struck me that I was probably the poorest person there.• It just struck me - you must have been in the same class as my brother.• The London Planetarium no longer strikes one with quite the same sense of awe, because planetariums are no longer new.• The court heard that the defendant had struck Payne repeatedly in the face, causing serious bruising.• Evidence shows that the victim had been struck several times with an iron bar.• Lightning struck the barn and set it on fire.• He began with the departure from Troy and the storm that struck the Fleet.• In anger, he struck the wall with a stick.• The clock had just struck two.struck ... a blow• After the darkness and coolness the light and heat struck him like a blow.• Finally he got dressed and went out to get a paper, and the bright sunlight outside struck him like a blow.• For the prosecution case to stand, it will be necessary to prove that Lenny McLean struck the fatal blow.• The guard made a point of gazing into the distance as he struck his blows.• Yet with their very first attack, the visitors struck a cruel blow.• But Kevin Curren struck some crucial blows - runs that Warwickshire could ill afford to concede at this stage of the match.• On eight minutes Armagh outhalf Simon Willis struck the first blow with a simple penalty.it strikes somebody (that)• It suddenly struck me that I hadn't spoken to Debbie in months.• But it strikes me that this is really the view of people who don't have them.• Look, come and make yourself useful, because it strikes me that this is the day, and the hour practically.• Yet it strikes me that the real story of blacks in the eighties is not about a quest for political access.strike at• Hernias vary in size from a golf ball to a football and can strike at any age.• Consequently, for instance, coins of the Empress Placidia were struck at Aquileia and at Rome from the same dies.• The strike at Grunwick Photoprocessing is exceptional in many ways.• Are you naturally more cautious, preferring to test the strength of your enemy before striking at his weak points?• Sometimes a particularly bold individual will risk a real attack, swooping in from behind the owl and striking at its plumage.• In both matinees, they played polite, uninspired hockey, allowing the opposition too many easy strikes at Ranford.• Fighter bombers struck at the presidential palace.• Catastrophe strikes at the worst possible moment.• No one strikes at their interests and walks away unharmed.disaster struck• His lead had stretched to half a minute on the soaking track when disaster struck.• It turned out that they had barely begun their quest before disaster struck.• It was while he was thus engaged in the Plaza of Broken Moons that disaster struck.• On the final turn, however, disaster struck.• Whenever I did this and substituted whoever was handy for the person I was attracted to, disaster struck.• In November of 1974, because of the oil crisis, disaster struck Tarrytown.• Once again, disaster struck the party, with nothing but benefits for Daley.• However, disaster struck when he was 11 years old.struck by lightning• This compares with 8 for air travel, 100 for child bearing and 0.6 for being struck by lightning.• A businessman walking to his car was struck by lightning and critically injured as co-workers watched in awe.• Travelling home one night in a violent storm, Polly was struck by lightning and had to be destroyed.• In that moment of truth she wanted to be struck by lightning and reduced to smouldering ashes.• There were torrential rains, rivers burst their banks and flooded standing crops, churches were struck by lightning in heavy thunderstorms.• So we are 60 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to die from salmonella!• A man struck by lightning was awake and alert Friday, but had no memory of the flash that knocked him unconscious.strike the hour• The tower bell was beginning to strike the hour.• It has no dial or hands but strikes the hours.• Then he lay trembling on his stone bed and listened to the clock striking the hours.• We stand with them for the last gloomy minutes till the clock strikes the hour.

Related topics: Gas, coal, oil, Other sports

strike2 ●●● S3 W2 noun  1  not working 不工作 [countable, uncountable]STOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKE a period of time when a group of workers deliberately stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etc 罢工；罢市 The government has promised that the army will be called in to help if there is a firemen’s strike. 政府承诺，如消防员罢工，就将调军队来协助。strike by a six-week strike by railway workers 铁路工人为期六周的罢工strike over a strike over pay cuts 因为减薪引起的罢工strike against a national strike against mine closures 反对矿场关闭的全国大罢工2  attack 打击,攻击 [countable]ATTACK a military attack, especially by planes dropping bombs 军事打击〔尤指空袭〕strike against/on a surprise air strike on military targets 对军事目标的突然空袭 American aircraft carriers have launched several strikes. 美国的航空母舰发动了数次袭击。 → first strike3  discovery 发现 [countable usually singular]TPG the discovery of something valuable under the ground 〔地下珍贵东西的〕意外发现 an oil strike 石油的发现4  two/three strikes against somebody/something American English a condition or situation that makes it extremely difficult for someone or something to be successful 某人/某事处于十分不利的地位；某人/某事很难获得成功 Children from poor backgrounds have two strikes against them by the time they begin school. 贫困家庭的孩子在入学时便处于劣势。5. baseball 棒球 [countable] an attempt to hit the ball in baseball that fails, or a ball that is thrown to the batter in the correct area but is not hit 〔棒球〕击球未中；好球6. bowling 保龄球DSO [countable] a situation in bowling in which you knock down all the pins (=bottle-shaped objects) with a ball on your first attempt 〔保龄球〕一击全倒，全中 → hunger strike, lightning strike COLLOCATIONSverbsbe (out) on strike 在罢工Teachers are on strike again this week. 本周教师再次罢课。go on strike/come out on strike (=start a strike) 举行罢工An estimated 70,000 public sector workers went on strike. 约有七万名公营部门工作人员举行罢工。begin a strike 开始罢工Dock workers began a 24-hour strike last night. 昨晚码头工人开始了24小时罢工。call a strike (=tell people to strike) 号召举行罢工The union threatened to call a strike. 工会威胁要号召工人罢工。stage a strike (=organize a short strike) 组织罢工Health workers will stage a two-day strike next week. 下周医护人员将组织为期两天的罢工。end/call off a strike (=decide not to continue with it) 结束罢工nThe strike was called off two days later.break a strike (=force workers to end it) 强迫结束罢工nAttempts to break the strike failed.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + strikea one-day/two-week etc strike 为期一天的/两周等的罢工A three-day strike is planned for next week. 计划下周举行为期三天的罢工。an indefinite strike (=with no end planned) 无限期罢工Workers at the processing plant have begun an indefinite strike. 加工厂工人开始无限期罢工。na long strikeMost teachers wouldn’t be in favour of a long strike.a general strike (=when workers from most industries strike) 总罢工,大罢工They threatened to call a general strike. 他们威胁要发动大罢工。a national/nationwide strike (=all over the country) 全国性罢工nIn April 1984 the National Union of Mineworkers called a national strike.nan all-out strike British English (=when all the workers in a factory, industry etc strike)The dockers voted for an all-out strike.a rail/coal/postal etc strike (=affecting the rail/coal etc industry) 铁路/煤矿/邮政等工人罢工nA rail strike would cause enormous public inconvenience.a miners’/teachers’/pilots’ etc strike (=by miners, teachers etc) 矿工罢工/教师罢课/飞行员罢飞等nThe transport workers’ strike inflicted serious damage on the economy.an unofficial strike (=not organized by a trade union) 非正式罢工,非工会支持的罢工nSome workers had been sacked for taking part in unofficial strikes.a wildcat strike (=without any warning) 突发的罢工nLegislation to curb wildcat strikes will be introduced during the coming parliamentary session.nan all-out strike (=in which all the workers have stopped working completely)The company faces an all-out strike next month. na bitter strike (=with angry feelings between workers and managers)The miners finally returned to work at the end of a long, bitter strike.na damaging/crippling strike (=having a bad effect on an industry)The company now faces the prospect of a crippling strike.strike + NOUNstrike action (=a strike) 罢工行动Hospital workers have voted in favour of strike action. 医院职工投票赞成罢工。a strike call (=when a group asks people to strike) 举行罢工的号召nThe ANC estimated that more than 4,000,000 people heeded its strike call.a strike ballot British English (=when workers vote on whether to strike) 决定是否罢工的投票nThe union is going to hold a strike ballot.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘go on a strike’. Say go on strike. 不要说 ‘go on a strike’。 而要说 go on strike。n THESAURUSstrike [countable] a period of time when a group of workers stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etcA teachers’ strike has been announced for next week.The rail strike has resulted in major delays on roads across the country.industrial action [uncountable] British English activities such as strikes, or doing less work than usual, as a way of trying to persuade an employer to improve pay, conditions etcLecturers voted to take industrial action over their workload.Prison officers have threatened industrial action.stoppage [countable] British English, work stoppage American English a short strike, especially one that lasts for one dayCustoms officers will return to work today after a twenty-four hour stoppage.go-slow [countable] British English a period of time when a group of workers deliberately work more slowly than usual as a way of protesting about pay, conditions etcThe hospital go-slow comes into effect tomorrow.The union carried out strikes and go-slows in support of a wage claim.

Examples from the Corpus

strike• The offices were closed by a strike that lasted two months.• When union bosses called a strike in protest over low pay, the response was overwhelming.• The bomb strike took place on a camp near Krek.• Typical damage caused by a boom strike.• In the long run, the outcome of the Delphi Chassis strike could be less important than the walkout itself.• Following a general strike and calls for his resignation, the President was arrested on 26 March.• A memorable strike from Paul Scholes and a deserved goal for the influential David Beckham completed a routine day for the champions.• Since the miners' strike, thirty of the mines in the area have been closed.• nuclear strike capability• Shipbuilders and dockers were solidly in favour of strike action in support of their claim.• The roads were a nightmare as commuters were hit by a rail strike.• The rebels launched a retaliatory strike.• The settlement came after a week of escalating pressures on both sides to end the strike.• At first, they hated the strike.• The administration has officially asked transportation workers to call off their strike.• Barnett ruled a two-strike pitch from Shawn Boskie was a called third strike.strike against/on• But it can also strike on the potential for tension between bringing out individuality and creating conformity.• She had been struck on the back of the head and strangled, said Mr Wakerley.• He himself, by the surprise carrier strike on Pearl Harbor, had set an example which the enemy might follow.• It was a pre-emptive strike against attempts to rewrite and water down his proposals in the months ahead.• He reportedly staged a hunger strike on May 24 in support of the demand for a Constitutional Assembly.• military strikes on specific targets• When they went on strike against the landlords in 1908, blood flowed in Parma.• He was struck on the head with a club.From Longman Business Dictionarystrikestrike1 /straɪk/ noun [countable]HUMAN RESOURCES a period of time during which a group of workers deliberately stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etc (strike2)a one-day postal strikeFemale staff have gone on strike for equal pay.Staff held a two-hour strike.Lorry drivers have been on strike for three weeks.An industrial dispute British English/labour dispute British English/labor dispute American English is a disagreement between managers and workers of a company, sometimes resulting in a strike. If workers want to protest against their employer, they may take various forms of industrial action, such as going on strike or striking, a go slow (=when workers deliberately work as slowly as possible), or working to rule British English/working to contract American English (=doing their job less quickly or effectively than normal, but without breaking the employer’s rules or the terms of their contract). A walkout is an occasion when workers stop working and leave their office or factory as a protest. A lock-out is when people are prevented from entering their place of work until they have agreed to accept the conditions set down by their employer. During a strike, there is often a picket line (=group of workers) who stand outside the factory or place where they work in order to protest about something and to ask other people not to go to work. In the UK, if workers in one factory or company strike to support the striking workers in a different factory or company, this is known as secondary action, which has been illegal since 1980. → all-out strike → general strike → lightning strike → official strike → sit-down strike → sympathy strike → token strike → unofficial strike → wildcat strikestrikestrike2 verb (past tense and past participle struck /strʌk/)1[intransitive]HUMAN RESOURCES to deliberately stop working for a time because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etcIn many countries, police officers are forbidden to strike.strike forDock workers are striking for more pay.2strike a deal/bargainCOMMERCE to make an agreement with someoneThe US and China have recently struck a deal over trade.He was trying to strike a deal with an American corporation to build a hotel in the mountains.3strike gold/oil etc to suddenly find gold, oil etc, especially after you have been looking for it for some time → strike off → strike out→ See Verb tableOrigin strike1 Old English strican “to touch lightly, go”

strike1 verb →10-19 →20-29
→n GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2 →REGISTER1 →PHRASAL VERBS1strike2 noun →COLLOCATIONS1 →n THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChinese  

hit or to surface Business the against Corpus fall

strike

I

strike¹ S3 W3 /straɪk/ verb (past tense and past participle struck /strʌk/)1.  HIT  [transitive] written to hit or fall against the surface of something:
    She fell heavily, striking her head against the side of the boat.
    A snowball struck him on the back of the head.
    Several cars were struck by falling trees.
    The last rays of the setting sun struck the windows.
  REGISTER
    In everyday English, people usually say hit rather than strike:
   ▪ I hit my head on the shelf.
   ▪ He was hit by a rock.
2.  HIT WITH HAND/WEAPON ETC  [transitive] formal to deliberately hit someone or something with your hand or a weapon:
    She struck him hard across the face.
    strike something with something
    The victim had been struck with some kind of wooden implement.
    Paul struck him a blow to the head.
    The assassin’s bullet struck home (=hit exactly where it should).
3.  THOUGHT/IDEA  [transitive not in progressive] if something strikes you, you think of it, notice it, or realize that it is important, interesting, true etc:
    A rather worrying thought struck me.
    The first thing that struck me was the fact that there were no other women present.
    it strikes somebody that
    It struck her that losing the company might be the least of her worries.
    be struck by something
    You can’t help being struck by her kindness.
4. strike somebody as (being) something to seem to have a particular quality or feature:
    His jokes didn’t strike Jack as being very funny.
    it strikes somebody as strange/odd etc that
    It struck me as odd that the man didn’t introduce himself before he spoke.
5.  STOP WORK  [intransitive] if a group of workers strike, they stop working as a protest against something relating to their work, for example how much they are paid, bad working conditions etc:
    In many countries, the police are forbidden to strike.
    strike for
    They’re striking for the right to have their trade union recognized in law.
6.  ATTACK  [intransitive] to attack someone, especially suddenly:
    The killer might strike again.
    Guerrillas struck a UN camp, killing 75.
    Opponents of the war say that civilian villages have been struck several times.
7.  HARM  [intransitive and transitive] to damage or harm someone or something
    strike at
    The law would strike at the most basic of civil rights.
    Such prejudices strike right at the heart of any notions of a civilized society.
    strike a blow at/against/to something
    The scandal seemed to have struck a mortal blow to the government’s chances of re-election.
8.  SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS  [intransitive and transitive] if something bad strikes, it suddenly happens or suddenly begins to affect someone:
    The plague struck again for the third time that century.
    Everything seemed to be going fine when suddenly disaster struck. ⇨ stricken
9. strike a balance (between something) to give the correct amount of importance or attention to two separate things:
    He was finding it difficult to strike a balance between his family and his work.
    It isn’t always easy to strike the right balance.
10. strike a bargain/deal to agree to do something for someone if they do something for you:
    There are rumors that the president struck a private deal with the corporation’s chairman.
11. strike a happy/cheerful/cautious etc note to express a particular feeling or attitude:
    The article struck a conciliatory note.
    Moderate Republicanism appeared to strike exactly the right note with the voters (=be what the people wanted).
12. strike a chord to say or do something that other people agree with or have sympathy with
    strike a chord with
    Their story is bound to strike a chord with all parents.
13. strike a match to produce a flame from a match by rubbing it hard across a rough surface
14. strike gold/oil etc
  to find a supply of gold, oil etc in the ground or under the sea:
    If they strike oil, drilling will begin early next year.
15. strike gold informal to do something that makes you a lot of money:
    Jackie eventually struck gold with her third novel.
16.  LIGHTNING  [intransitive and transitive] if lightning strikes something, it hits and damages it:
    The temple burned down after it was struck by lightning last year. ⇨ lightning never strikes twice at lightning¹
17. strike a blow for somebody/something to do something to help achieve a principle or aim:
    It’s time we struck a blow for women’s rights.
18. be within striking distance
  a. to be close enough to reach a place easily:
    By now, they were within striking distance of the shore.
  b. to be very close to achieving something:
    The French team are within striking distance of the world record.
19. strike it rich to suddenly make a lot of money
20. strike it lucky British English to be very lucky, especially when you were not expecting to:
    We struck it lucky in Bangkok, where we were told there were some extra seats on the plane that night.
21.  CLOCK  [intransitive and transitive] if a clock strikes one, two, six etc, its bell makes a sound once, twice, six times etc according to what time it is:
    The church clock began to strike twelve.
    strike the hour (=strike when it is exactly one o'clock, two o'clock etc)
22.  GAIN ADVANTAGE  [intransitive] to do something that gives you an advantage over your opponent in a fight, competition etc:
    Brazil struck first with a goal in the third minute.
23. strike home if something that you say strikes home, it has exactly the effect on someone that you intended:
    She saw the emotion in her father’s face and knew her words had struck home.
24. strike terror/fear into sb’s heart to make someone feel very frightened:
    The word ‘cancer’ still strikes terror into many hearts.
25. strike a pose/attitude to stand or sit with your body in a particular position:
    Malcolm struck his usual pose: hands in pockets, shoulders hunched.
26. be struck dumb to suddenly be unable to talk, usually because you are very surprised or shocked ⇨ dumbstruck
27. be struck with horror/terror/awe etc to suddenly feel very afraid, shocked etc:
    As she began to speak to him, she was struck with shyness.
28. strike while the iron is hot to do something immediately rather than waiting until a later time when you are less likely to succeed
29. strike somebody dead to kill someone:
    May God strike me dead if I’m telling a lie__
     
strike back phrasal verb
  to attack or criticize someone who attacked or criticized you first:
    We instruct our staff never to strike back, however angry they feel.
    strike back at
    The prime minister immediately struck back at his critics.
strike somebody ↔ down phrasal verb
  1. [usually passive] to kill someone or make them extremely ill:
    Over 50 nurses at the clinic have been struck down with a mystery virus.
    They would rob the bodies of those struck down in battle.
  2. formal to hit someone so hard that they fall down
  3. law to say that a law, decision etc is illegal and officially end it
strike somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb
  1. be struck off British English if a doctor, lawyer etc is struck off, their name is removed from the official list of people who are allowed to work as doctors, lawyers etc
  2. to remove someone or something from a list:
    Terri was told to strike off the names of every person older than 30.
strike on/upon something phrasal verb
  formal to discover something or have a good idea about something ⇨ be struck on somebody/something at struck²
strike out phrasal verb
  1. to attack or criticize someone suddenly or violently
    strike out at
    Unhappy young people will often strike out at the people closest to them.
  2. strike something ↔ out to draw a line through something written on a piece of paper
  3. [always + adverb/preposition] to start walking or swimming in a particular direction, especially in a determined way:
    She struck out for the side of the pool.
  4. strike out on your own to start doing something or living independently
  5. to not hit the ball in baseball three times, so that you are not allowed to continue trying, or to make someone do this
    strike somebody ↔ out
    He struck out the first batter he faced. ⇨ strikeout
  6. American English informal to not be successful at something:
    ‘Did she say she’d go out with you?’ ‘No, I struck out.’
  7. strike something ↔ out law to say officially that something cannot be considered as proof in a court of law
strike up phrasal verb
  1. strike up a friendship/relationship/conversation etc to start to become friendly with someone, to start talking to them, etc:
    I struck up a conversation with the girl sitting next to me.
  2. strike up (something) to begin playing a piece of music:
    The band struck up a tango.

II

strike² S3 W2 noun1.  NOT WORKING  [uncountable and countable] a period of time when a group of workers deliberately stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etc:
    The government has promised that the army will be called in to help if there is a firemen’s strike.
    strike by
    a six-week strike by railway workers
    strike over
    a strike over pay cuts
    strike against
    a national strike against mine closures
2.  ATTACK  [countable] a military attack, especially by planes dropping bombs
    strike against/on
    a surprise air strike on military targets
    American aircraft carriers have launched several strikes. ⇨ first strike
3.  DISCOVERY  [countable usually singular] the discovery of something valuable under the ground:
    an oil strike
4. two/three strikes against somebody/something American English a condition or situation that makes it extremely difficult for someone or something to be successful:
    Children from poor backgrounds have two strikes against them by the time they begin school.
5.  BASEBALL  [countable] an attempt to hit the ball in baseball that fails, or a ball that is thrown to the batter in the correct area but is not hit
6.  BOWLING  [countable] a situation in bowling in which you knock down all the pins (=bottle-shaped objects) with a ball on your first attempt
⇨ hunger strike, lightning strike
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ be (out) on strike Teachers are on strike again this week.
   ▪ go on strike/come out on strike (=start a strike) An estimated 70,000 public sector workers went on strike.
   ▪ begin a strike Dock workers began a 24-hour strike last night.
   ▪ call a strike (=tell people to strike) The union threatened to call a strike.
   ▪ stage a strike (=organize a short strike) Health workers will stage a two-day strike next week.
   ▪ end/call off a strike (=decide not to continue with it) The strike was called off two days later.
   ▪ break a strike (=force workers to end it) Attempts to break the strike failed.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + strike
   ▪ a one-day/two-week etc strike A three-day strike is planned for next week.
   ▪ an indefinite strike (=with no end planned) Workers at the processing plant have begun an indefinite strike.
   ▪ a long strike Most teachers wouldn’t be in favour of a long strike.
   ▪ a general strike (=when workers from most industries strike) They threatened to call a general strike.
   ▪ a national/nationwide strike (=all over the country) In April 1984 the National Union of Mineworkers called a national strike.
   ▪ an all-out strike British English (=when all the workers in a factory, industry etc strike) The dockers voted for an all-out strike.
   ▪ a rail/coal/postal etc strike (=affecting the rail/coal etc industry) A rail strike would cause enormous public inconvenience.
   ▪ a miners’/teachers’/pilots’ etc strike (=by miners, teachers etc) The transport workers’ strike inflicted serious damage on the economy.
   ▪ an unofficial strike (=not organized by a trade union) Some workers had been sacked for taking part in unofficial strikes.
   ▪ a wildcat strike (=without any warning) Legislation to curb wildcat strikes will be introduced during the coming parliamentary session.
   ▪ an all-out strike (=in which all the workers have stopped working completely) The company faces an all-out strike next month.
   ▪ a bitter strike (=with angry feelings between workers and managers) The miners finally returned to work at the end of a long, bitter strike.
   ▪ a damaging/crippling strike (=having a bad effect on an industry) The company now faces the prospect of a crippling strike.
■ strike + NOUN
   ▪ strike action (=a strike) Hospital workers have voted in favour of strike action.
   ▪ a strike call (=when a group asks people to strike) The ANC estimated that more than 4,000,000 people heeded its strike call.
   ▪ a strike ballot British English (=when workers vote on whether to strike) The union is going to hold a strike ballot.
■ COMMON ERRORS
    ► Do not say 'go on a strike'. Say go on strike.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ strike [countable] a period of time when a group of workers stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etc: A teachers’ strike has been announced for next week. | The rail strike has resulted in major delays on roads across the country.
   ▪ industrial action [uncountable] British English activities such as strikes, or doing less work than usual, as a way of trying to persuade an employer to improve pay, conditions etc: Lecturers voted to take industrial action over their workload. | Prison officers have threatened industrial action.
   ▪ stoppage [countable] British English, work stoppage American English a short strike, especially one that lasts for one day: Customs officers will return to work today after a twenty-four hour stoppage.
   ▪ go-slow [countable] British English a period of time when a group of workers deliberately work more slowly than usual as a way of protesting about pay, conditions etc: The hospital go-slow comes into effect tomorrow. | The union carried out strikes and go-slows in support of a wage claim.