What this suffix does
-stricken describes someone suddenly and severely affected by something: poverty-stricken, grief-stricken, panic-stricken.
ESEN
Suffix · forms adjectives
-stricken
Forms adjectives describing someone or something severely affected by an emotion, condition, or calamity: poverty-stricken, grief-stricken, panic-stricken, awe-stricken, drought-stricken.
Intermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Difference from -ridden
"-stricken" is a sudden, severe hit; "-ridden" is a chronic, ongoing condition. "panic-stricken" (a moment of panic) vs "anxiety-ridden" (constant background anxiety).
How it is formed
Noun (calamity or emotion) + stricken.
- poverty + strickenpoverty-stricken
- grief + strickengrief-stricken
- panic + strickenpanic-stricken
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
How it is pronounced
-stricken/ˈstrɪkən/ · sounds like "stricken"
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -stricken
In a phrase
- povertypoverty-strickenThe charity helps families in poverty-stricken areas.
- griefgrief-strickenThe grief-stricken family thanked everyone for their support.
- panicpanic-strickenShe was panic-stricken when she couldn't find her passport.
- aweawe-strickenThe tourists stood awe-stricken in front of the waterfall.
- terrorterror-strickenThe terror-stricken cat hid under the bed during the storm.
- conscienceconscience-strickenHe felt conscience-stricken after lying to his best friend.
- droughtdrought-strickenFarmers in the drought-stricken region need urgent help.
- diseasedisease-strickenThe disease-stricken crops had to be destroyed.
Common mistakes
poverty stricken (no hyphen)
poverty-stricken (hyphenated)
-stricken compounds take a hyphen when used as pre-noun adjectives: "a poverty-stricken region." Without a following noun: "the region was poverty-stricken."
stricken by panic = panic-stricken
they are different constructions
"Panic-stricken" (adjective compound) and "stricken by panic" (passive construction) are both correct but distinct. Do not say "panic-stricken by panic" — that is redundant.
A trick to remember it
"Stricken" comes from "strike" (like a bolt of lightning striking suddenly). Picture a sudden lightning strike: panic-STRICKEN = panic struck you all at once, not something that built up gradually (that would be -ridden).
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The panic-stricken crowd rushed toward the exits." What does "panic-stricken" describe?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -stricken mean in English?
The suffix -stricken forms adjectives describing someone or something severely affected by an emotion, condition, or calamity: poverty-stricken, grief-stricken, panic-stricken, awe-stricken, drought-stricken.
How do you pronounce -stricken?
The ending -stricken is pronounced /ˈstrɪkən/ · sounds like "stricken". For example, "poverty-stricken".
Can you give an example of a word with -stricken?
"poverty" becomes "poverty-stricken". It is a typical example of the -stricken suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-born
Forms adjectives about birth: firstborn, newborn, foreign-born (born in another country). Also common in fantasy/historical novels for social class: highborn (noble birth), lowborn (humble birth).
-ridden
Forms adjectives describing something persistently dominated or plagued by something negative: guilt-ridden, debt-ridden, crime-ridden, anxiety-ridden, corruption-ridden.
-struck
Forms adjectives describing someone suddenly and intensely affected: awestruck, thunderstruck, starstruck, dumbstruck, moonstruck, horror-struck.
Learn every English suffix
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